Alone In The Hellfire

“Morning.”

The word was muffled against the skin of your neck, sealed with a gentle kiss. You bite your lip, slowly turning around to watch Steve Harrington’s eyes flutter open, a soft grin gracing his features. His hair was messy, and his eyes drooped in languor, but he had never looked better.

“Good morning.” You brush the stray hair from his face, sighing. “We should probably get ready. I thought I heard some voices down the hall.”

Steve groans at this, tightening his grip on you when you try to reluctantly squirm away. “Do we have to?”

“You say that like we have a choice.”

“Five more minutes.”

You laugh and try to push him away, although in full transparency, you weren’t trying at all. You wanted nothing more than to relish in the short-lived ignorance of the day to come. Much like every other day you have for the past two months.

When it became clear he was pretty serious about staying in bed, you managed to grab hold of his hands and keep them locked at your sides, making him grin.

“You think that’ll stop me?” He says, eyes flickering over your face with the same light that made your chest flutter.

A soft ‘oomph’ tries to escape his lips when you suddenly move forward and kiss him. He immediately relaxes into it, hands slipping from your waist and moving up the sheets to cradle your head and neck, deepening it as much as he could.

Your plan was to distract him long enough to slip out of his reach. The plan crumbled as soon as he started kissing you back, losing yourself in his touch, like it was only you and him.

“Hey, kid, you up?”

Hopper’s voice is accompanied by the flurry of knocks rapping against your door. Steve practically jumps out of his skin, releasing his lips from yours and conveniently forgetting how small the bed actually was.

The soft thump of his body hitting the floor is only muffled by the strategic grab of a pillow.

“Shit.” Steve whispers as you scramble out of bed.

“Uh, yeah, just give me a second!” You call back, panicking as you try to kick Steve’s shoes under the bed, cursing when you strike them too hard.

Steve’s movement isn’t any more graceful. It takes him five tries to shove himself into his jeans, almost slipping and hitting his head against the dresser. You’ve already thrown on some shorts and a hoodie by the time he locates his shirt, waving his arms around wildly knowing there is nowhere to hide.

“Just get down!” You mouth at him, pointing to the other side of your bed. 

He silently groans, but ducks his head down just as you pull open the door.

“Morning, dad.” You smile, noticing the smaller woman standing beside him with a grin. “Morning, Joyce.”

“Hey, sweetie,” She coos, a knowing linger in her eye that makes your stomach tighten.

“Uh, what’s up?”

“I know it’s earlier than usual,” Hopper sighs, running a hand down his face. He looked like he had only gotten out of bed himself, hair a little wild, the scruff of his growing beard poking out in odd places. “But we’re calling an emergency meeting.”

You frown then, “For what?”

“I don’t know.” He admits, shaking his head. “It’s El. She said she needed to talk to all of us. She seemed pretty spooked about the whole thing.”

“Okay, uh… I’ll be down in five minutes.” You nod and Hopper seems content with that, patting your shoulder and continuing further down the hall. 

You move to close the door, but Joyce is still standing there, arms casually crossed.

“I’m gonna make some coffee.” She says, tilting her head. “You want one?”

You felt a yawn creeping up your throat. “God, yes.”

She chuckles at that, pushing away from your doorframe. Before she goes, however, she pokes her head over your shoulder.

“How about you, young man? Coffee?”

Your body stills, feeling the rush of heat to your cheeks.

“Yes, please.” A muffled voice calls out from within your room and Joyce hums in amusement, eyes flickering to yours.

“I’d suggest sending him back to his room before Hop does another round up.” She smiles, winking at you.

You finally shut the door, pressing your back against it as a dishevelled head of hair pokes up from the edge of your mattress.

“You think she knows?” He asks with a guilty grin on his face.

“No, Steve, I think she just likes asking rooms if they want coffee.” You deadpan before groaning into your hands. “Just get dressed before my dad notices you’re missing.”

He can only nod at that, pulling his shirt over his head and hiding a smile.

Steve Harrington thinks that despite it all, he’s the happiest he’s been in a long time.

Two months ago, Steve woke up in his bedroom after a blurry memory of the battle in Starcourt, an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach, and a welcome comfort of your hand in his. He hadn’t asked what happened, or why he was filled with such grief and regret. He just wanted to hold you closer, pretend everything was going to be alright.

Which is what he’s been doing for over two months now. 64 days to be precise. Not that he’s counting each day your relationship is proving to be everything he’s ever wanted.

Well, almost everything. The only thing missing is the fact he can’t scream about how happy he is for the whole world to hear. Because you were keeping the relationship a secret.

When you returned and started living under the same roof with him, the relief in your presence didn’t lighten the weight of the apocalypse outside your window. There was still so much yet to survive, a constant fear of the safety of everyone living within these walls. Hopper made that aware as much as he could, relying on the elder members of the proclaimed ‘Hawkins Party’ to stay vigilant and protect those who couldn’t protect themselves.

Steve isn’t sure if Hopper would approve of your relationship. In the end, it didn’t matter. Dating would only be seen as a distraction, and Steve wouldn’t be out of reach to assume the chief would lock you away in your room just to keep you both in separate beds.

So, you’ll both just have to keep up the illusion until there isn't a threat anymore.

And he was fine with that.

Totally.

Three taps knock against his bedroom door and he takes a deep breath, pulling it open with a shy smile.

“Morning, Chief.” He greets the older man, and Hopper nods his head at him.

“Glad you’re finally awake. Tried knocking earlier.” He explains and Steve tries to wrest away the unpredictable blush creeping up his neck.

“Heavy sleeper.” Steve breathes out a laugh. If Hopper weren’t so distracted by his youngest daughter’s cryptic words, he’d definitely have noticed how strange Steve was acting.

“Well, we’ve got a meeting in five.” He says, running a hand down his face. “Everyone’s gonna be in the mission room.”

Steve nods, stepping out of his room and moving past Hopper before he can comment on how red his cheeks have gotten.

He immediately spots you when he enters the parlour, now renamed as the ‘mission room’, even within the bustle of his friends moving around the smaller space. There was a soft smile on your face, your body relaxed into the cushions of what used to be his mother’s favourite couch. He’d love the sight if it wasn’t interrupted by a persistent hand on your shoulder.

You were sat beside Jonathan, both caught up in a conversation that somehow started creating a knot somewhere deep in his stomach. He shouldn’t be jealous, not when you woke up in his arms barely ten minutes ago. 

You and Jonathan had been relatively inseparable ever since Starcourt. Neither of you really spoke about what happened in Brenner’s bunker of nightmares, a haunted look passing over your faces like the memory was better left unsaid. It must have bonded you, and Steve couldn’t be more grateful you were both alive and safe. But there was a small slither of insecurity that would weave its way around his bones whenever he overheard secret whispers between you both. What if you didn’t trust him as much as you trust Jonathan?

There was a slight nudge to his side that broke his gaze from your figure, his face scrunching up at the sight of Dustin Henderson’s toothy grin.

“Can I help you?” Steve frowns, and Dustin brings a mug of hot chocolate to his lips with a smirk, shrugging.

“Am I gonna be your best man?”

Steve tightens his lips, shoving the younger boy gently. “Shut the hell up.”

Dustin just giggles at that, rejoining his friends on the carpet. Steve can only sigh.

The secrecy of your relationship was still relatively strong, but Dustin could see right through you both. He was the one that kept checking in on Steve when you were missing, seeing the pure anguish in his unofficial best friend’s eyes grow the longer you were gone. Even if Dustin didn’t know you were together, he knew you were destined to be.

Something brushes against his arm and Steve straightens, eyes softening at the sight of Joyce Byers with his morning cup of coffee.

“Here you go, loverboy.” She smirks knowingly. Steve graciously accepts the brew with a tint of pink on his cheeks. Joyce chuckles at that, patting his shoulder before she weaves her way through the crowded room to offer you your own cup.

Steve was really and truly grateful for Joyce. Since his return from the Upside Down, she had been a welcome motherly embrace he’d never experienced before. Even when he’d led her eldest son into a shapeshifter trap, even when they thought Jonathan was dead because of him, she had never once placed the blame upon him. If anything, she comforted him. Because she was a mother first, and always.

Yet another thing he envied Jonathan for.

A loud laugh echoes from the carpet in the middle of the room. Steve draws his eyes from the way you pucker your lips to softly blow at the steam of your coffee to where Lucas covers his mouth, muffling his giggles as Mike pulls away the straws he had strategically placed in his mouth.

The Party were gathered together, lounged out in front of the sofas with various comics and drawings scattered at their hands and feet. Lucas still laughed, burying his face in Dustin’s shoulder, the latter desperately trying to salvage his hot chocolate before it spilled all over the burgundy rug while stifling his own joy. Mike had a wide grin on his face, occasionally nudging Will who would return the gesture with a small chuckle of his own.

In front of them were Max and El. Max sat cross-legged, smiling with her eyes at the sore sight of childhood happiness while routinely switching her gaze to the small girl beside her, a confused air of tension settling between them. When Steve returned, the two girls had been closer than before. He wouldn’t ever find one without the other. And now… something had shifted, and he had a feeling it had something to do with the haunted look on El’s face as she curled in on herself, barely paying attention to her friends still wrapped up in humour.

She wasn’t completely alone in her somberness. A new addition to the group was nearby, leaning against the wall behind El and observing the room silently with an expression that could only be worn by someone who had seen too much.

Kali saved you from the green-eyed monster in the mall, seemingly appearing out of thin air to introduce herself as El’s sister. He remembers when she explained her involvement in Brenner’s experiments, constantly referring to El as Jane with a tenderness that made both you and Hopper squirm with indecision. Hopper didn’t trust her, but you had set aside your hesitation to try and be as welcoming as you could. Steve had to admit that he didn’t like how much Kali was obviously keeping from them. Like how she knew to be in the mall in the first place, or why there was a flicker of recognition in her face any time you mentioned the Voice.

A particularly loud giggle burst from Lucas’ mouth then, aided with the joyful whack of Max’s hand to his arm as she shushed him through her grin. Steve loved the sight of it despite the circumstance.

Most of these kids were separated from their families. The quarantine took more than freedom, it took away knowledge too. Hopper had been trying to find ways to contact outside without alerting the military for some hope of reaching parents desperately searching for their children, but it had been eerily radio silence. It was bad enough they were barely 13 and forced to live in an apocalypse, it was even worse not knowing if they had somebody waiting for them when this was all over.

“Sorry.”

It was muttered even before Steve felt the soft brush of something against his back, quickly stepping out of the way as the girl thinned her lips into a forced smile.

“Turned the corner too fast.” Nancy meekly explains, slipping around the room to join Joyce at the corner table.

Her piercing blue eyes kept shifting to the couch, trying to respond to Joyce’s easy conversation with a smile.

When Jonathan returned, Steve had assumed he and Nancy would patch things up. However, their issues were apparently far beyond his comprehension because they truly have not spoken in weeks. Jonathan normally finds solace with you in group meetings like this, and Nancy will always disappear to the other side of the room to avoid any unnecessary contact. Steve tried to ask Nancy about it once, but she snapped at him before apologising immediately, like she surprised herself with her reaction.

Her attention is pulled when she’s asked a question by a third member at the table, surprise lining her features before she nods, and Steve looks away when a certain set of brown eyes catch him watching.

Eddie Munson sat twisting his silver rings around his fingers as he stared at a dark spot on the varnished wood, looking about as uncomfortable as he has been in the last few weeks.

When everyone escaped Starcourt, Hopper had offered Eddie access to the radio system. He tried contacting his camp… and he heard nothing back. He tried again. Nothing. Every day for two months, he tried and tried. Not one response from Wayne, no snarky comment from Tommy H, not even a hopeful anecdote from Heather or Chrissy.

It was like they just vanished.

Eddie had tried several times to go out on his own, but someone had always managed to stop him. The roads were crawling with creatures now after the military lost the fight at the mall. In fact, Steve thinks there’s more now. If any of you left the safety of this man-made fortress, you’d be dead in a day.

The room was pretty full, impressive considering its exaggerated size. But there were still two empty armchairs that had been pushed out of the way to create more floorspace, and every time Steve saw them his chest ached with guilt.

Two more seats for two people he’ll never see again.

“Okay, everyone here?”

Hopper stands beside Steve, looking around the room at the chorus of nods. The easiness of the morning falls into quiet tension, awaiting the news they all dreaded to hear.

“El, the floor is yours, kid.” Hopper smiles down at the young girl in the middle of the room, and she nods with a stoic expression.

“I… I saw something last night.” She begins, and Steve tenses against the doorframe. “In my sleep. I saw… him.”

Steve can see your body go rigid, a clench of his fingers around his mug knowing he couldn’t run to you and hold your hand. Instead, he has to watch Jonathan rub your arm in comfort as he washes his mouth with a different bitter taste.

“He was showing me things.” El stares at the ground, looking more like a child than she ever has before. “People die. And monsters everywhere. And the sky…”

“What about the sky?” Mike prompts when her voice trails off, a tight grip on the comic the boys were reading before the meeting started.

“It bled.” She shivers, her eyes widening when Max drapes a blanket over her. “Hawkins was destroyed. It was dark… and red. It looked like the Upside Down.”

Nobody dared to breathe, the once lively room filled with the shared fear of El’s words. You had all been wondering what would come of the Voice, why he needed El in the first place, why he’s seemingly disappeared all this time. None of you really wanted the answer, but now you had it there was no denying the ultimate goal.

Destroy Hawkins, create more monsters, spread the disease.

Forget an apocalypse, this was an armageddon.

“It’s just a threat, right?” Nancy spoke into the silence. She was perched on one of the armchairs now, dark circles under her eyes. She avoided the boy sitting on the couch beside her like he wasn’t even there, focused on the little girl in the middle of the room.

“No.” El replies, shaking her head slowly. “It was a promise.”

“Holy shit.” Dustin breathes out, covering his mouth like he’d be reprimanded for swearing. But nobody could care about that right now. 

You were just told the world was going to end with no way to stop it.

“Don’t suppose this Voice of ours told you when?”

Steve turns his head to the corner of the room, the figure still unfamiliar to him. Eddie Munson dragged the hair out of his eyes when he spoke, a sad look that was a permanent addition to his exterior ever since he started living here.

El shakes her head in response, and Eddie sighs, settling back into his seat.

Steve looks up to find your eyes are already on his, seeking comfort. He knows you’ve been fearing this moment for weeks now, and he’s often held you tighter just so you could fall asleep with the knowledge that something bad was going to happen very soon.

“I saw something else. Someone else.” El admits, and her wide brown eyes were already set on you.

You’re frowning, and Steve’s blood is running cold.

“A girl. She was… scared.” The young girl glances around the room, lingering on Steve for a beat before she breathes out. “Trapped.”

“Who?”

Your voice was quiet, twisting a knife laced with guilt into Steve’s abdomen. A memory he was trying desperately to forget was already resurfacing. He knew. He already knew, and it was killing him inside to watch what once was an innocent look disappear behind the face of a girl still grieving.

El’s lip trembles as she reaches out to hold your hand, his heart beating harder against his chest.

“Robin. I saw Robin.”

May 31st (Day 59 of the apocalypse)

“This cerebral thing of yours-”

“Cerebro.”

“Yeah, that. You’re sure it’ll work?”

Dustin shifts in his seat, hand nervously messing around with the cap on his growing curls. He doesn’t give an answer because he isn’t sure it’ll actually achieve anything. It was a usual response in the Harrington household these days; no definitive result, just hope.

“Great.” Steve runs a hand down his face, leaning against the office desk and looking over at where Hopper sighed into his own chair. “Thoughts?”

Hopper eyed Dustin for a moment, the young boy offering a nervous grin in response. “I think it’s worth a shot with a fully fleshed out plan.”

“How long will that take?” The impatience was prominent in Steve’s tone, biting through his words before he had the chance to stop them.

Dustin widens his eyes the same time Hopper narrows his own.

“However long it takes me.” Hopper responds, voice flat with authority. Steve scoffs, rubbing his tired eyes.

“No offence there, Chief, but we don’t have very long, it’s been weeks and we haven’t even gotten close to getting through to the Upside Down, she could be-”

“I know!” 

Hopper’s hand slams down on the desk, knocking over a small figurine that Dustin had placed there to ‘spruce the space up a bit’. Steve bites the inside of his cheek, feeling guilty at how little restraint he currently had.

Dustin gulps from the other side of the wood, clutching his notebook to his chest. “Can I… go now?”

Hopper’s furious eyes look over and soften with realisation. “Yeah, kid.”

“Great.” He squeaks out, bolting out of the door before anyone can change their mind.

The older man leans back in seat, huffing out a short word Steve didn’t quite catch. As he awaits for Hopper’s inevitable argument, he folds his arms and tries to ignore his tired reflection in a portrait frame.

“If the kid’s right, and his superpowered radio can reach into the Upside Down, that means getting a group of people to Weathertop safely.” Hopper says, the edge disappearing from his voice as he leans closer to Steve. “That mountain is completely exposed, not to mention closer to the quarantine border. Monsters and military will be on our asses in seconds.”

Steve bites the inside of his cheek. Hopper’s right. Of course he is. That’s the Hopper family guarantee, and he hates how his Harrington blood is only good for an argument.

“Steve.” 

He looks up, hand relaxing from his unconscious formed fist when he notices Hopper’s eyes flicker down to it.

“We can’t help her if we’re kicked out. We especially can’t help her if we’re dead.”

Steve clears his throat, “I-”

Three loud taps against the door echo into the room before a third person enters without awaiting any permission. Steve would have hated the interruption if it weren’t for his saving grace in the form of a nervous girl poking her head around the corner.

“Oh, hey there. I’m sure I’m interrupting, but I have some time sensitive information I think you’ll find very interesting.”

Robin awkwardly smiles when neither guy responds, stepping into the room and taking her cue.

“We picked up a military transmission again. Apparently they’re sending more troops to the west side of Hawkins, near that mall development area- shame that never took off, right? Ha, yeah, anyway, they think all the creepy freaky monsters are flocking that way.” Robin relays, picking at her jumper. “And I’m sure you’re wondering: Robin, how on earth is that helpful to us right now? Well, I overheard Dustin’s pretty award-worthy rant on his Cerebro weather dish blessed by god above and I figured you’d be cautious about getting there safely and, um… this is your chance, I guess.”

Steve and Hopper share a look as Robin clasps her hands together, nodding slowly.

“Cool,” She says, slowly backing away, “Thanks for your… consideration? I’ll be… outside.”

Once the door is pulled shut, Steve shrugs his shoulders. “Looks like we’ve got an opening.”

Hopper sighs, a hand running down his face with indecision. His daughter was out there alone. Possibly… possibly hurt. But could he be so selfish to risk the lives of others to get what he wants?

“I’ll go.” Hopper says finally, the exhaustion barely hidden from his eyes. “Dustin can give me instructions, it limits the chance of anyone else getting hurt.”

“No.”

The confidence startles the older man, a frown pressing into his features as Steve stands taller, shaking his head.

“We need you here. You said it yourself last night, the military could come kicking doors down any time they decide, and if they do, you’re the only one here with any experience to get everyone out of here.” Steve says, his words more carefully chosen than they have been before. “I can go. By myself, if I have to. I don’t care if nobody else wants to-”

“I’ll do it!”

The door swings back open as Robin stumbles in, a red tint on her cheeks as she huffs out an airy laugh. “I, um, I’ll go as well. If it gets her back to us, I’ll do anything.”

If Steve were capable of smiling, he would have. “We get instructions, maybe… maybe four people tops. Radio interactions limited so no one knows what we’re doing, and enough people to watch each other’s backs.”

When Hopper doesn’t respond, Steve lowers his voice. “Please. I… we need to do this.”

“Okay.” Hopper agrees and Steve’s lungs burn after the air is finally exhaled from them. “I’m putting you in charge, Steve. Take Robin, and see if Nancy and Jonathan will join you. The girl’s an incredible shot and Jonathan has the technical experience. The plan is to get to the radio on Weathertop, but if anything seems suspicious- if there is a serious breach for your safety, you turn back. I’m not playing out, kid. You leave, understood?”

“Understood.”

Steve swallows the lie and quickly leaves the room. He can’t risk waiting any longer. Not when you were out there waiting.

“So, boss, we leaving soon?” Robin asks in the hallway, arms folded, her eyes set on him but not really focused.

The tension had been the same since his return. Robin had tried to keep a light tone, but he could tell she was struggling to pretend like everything was fine. Steve wouldn’t be surprised if she blamed him for your disappearance. It’s not any different to how he viewed himself.

“Um, yeah. I’m gonna grab some stuff. Dress warm, talk to Nance if you see her first.” Steve says, awkwardly shifting on his feet when Robin doesn’t move from her place near the banister. “Um… was there anything else?”

“No.” She hums, “I’ll get the instructions from Dustin on my way down.”

He meekly nods, reaching for his door, expecting the uncomfortable conversation to finally be over.

“I don’t blame you, by the way.”

Steve’s hand falls from the handle, unable to hide his surprise with a whispered voice. “What?”

“I realise I haven’t been… the best, lately. I mean, can you blame me?” She chuckles with no real energy behind it, her eyes already tearing up. “I miss her so damn much. And- and I get you also miss her, which should be the reason we get closer as friends instead of what I’ve been doing which is completely avoiding you-”

“Robin.” He interrupts and she gulps, nodding with a mumbled apology. “I… I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

The confusion set on her features almost made him cry. For what? Like it wasn’t obvious.

“For being the only one who came back.” He says quietly, running a hand through his hair.

“I’m sorry for being mad that you’re the only one who came back.” She admits, biting her lip. “But, for what it’s worth, I was never mad at you. More like, pissed off at the universe for not giving my best friend a damn break.”

Steve smiles at that, then, but his heart still felt hollow. “We’re getting her back.”

“Oh, I have no doubt.” She wipes her tears away with the sleeve of her sweatshirt, grinning. “Not with Steve Harrington on the case.”

“Everything’s gonna be okay, right?” Robin asks, her nervous fingers messing around with a loose thread at her sleeve. “Like, we’re gonna send out a signal, find Y/n, and… and we’re all gonna live happily ever after?”

Steve doesn’t reply straight away, the bile in his throat burning his tongue. Another hopeful face asking for his opinion.

“Yeah. Happily ever after.”

Robin hums, patting his shoulder with a smile before bounding down the staircase, leaving Steve standing at his bedroom door with the uncertainty that anything will ever be happy again.

Present Day

Whatever joy had filled the room before had been drained the moment El told you your best friend was still alive.

Hopper had to take his youngest out of the room when her tears fell too hard, and everyone had trailed to different areas of the house with the somber realisation that the mirage you’d all been living in for weeks was now completely over.

And you just sat there, the coffee in your hand growing colder, knowing your Robin was waiting for you to show up- and you were just sitting here.

The first week you returned had been the most brutal. For the two days Steve was out for the count, your only company the sympathetic smiles of your concerned friends and the guilty raise of bile that stained your throat. You mostly stayed in his room, perched on the armchair with a radio clutched tightly in your hand, listening to the feeds with the hope your best friend was out there somewhere.

You needed her more than you could admit. More than anyone else would understand.

“Hey.”

Your eyes peeled away from the bare carpet, looking up at the boy that still made your heart skip.

“Can I sit?” He asks cautiously, glancing at the spot Jonathan had previously resided in. You nod, sighing when the sofa dips slightly beneath his weight, your body automatically leaning towards him.

“Why didn’t we do anything?” You ask before he can speak, hand shaking. He carefully retrieves the mug in your clasp before you accidentally spill it, setting it to the side. “We should have done something.”

You hear the air hiss through Steve’s teeth, your stomach twisting.

“We tried. Remember?” He says softly, hand hovering over yours like he was afraid to touch you until he settled over it completely, interlocking your fingers. He did that a lot lately, acting like you were damaged goods he could break before he remembered how you would reach for him in the middle of the night for comfort.

Or, more likely, he was restraining himself from feeling fully without even realising it. He was happy, you knew that. Happy with you, that is. But he hadn’t been the same since Starcourt. You tried not to think about it.

“The military are on high alert since the mall. They’re not saving people anymore. If they hear us trying to communicate, see us out on the street, they’ll shoot us and figure out we’re not dangerous later.”

“I know.” You nod, squeezing his hand to try and ground yourself. “I just feel like I could have tried more.”

Steve doesn’t respond to that. You’re not sure he could. As he’s said before with a grin that lit up your chest with butterflies, you were insanely stubborn.

“We’re gonna find her.”

You look up at him with wide eyes, desperately wanting to believe his words with the same certainty he spoke them with. “How can you be so sure?”

“Found you, didn’t I?” He smiles, and you breathe out a laugh.

“Technically…”

“Okay, fine, you spotted me first, but the moral of the story is that you’re safe because no one gave up.” He places his free hand on your cheek, absentmindedly rubbing your skin with his thumb. “We won’t give up on her. I promise.”

As he stole a gentle kiss within the safety of an empty room, you couldn’t help the growing thought that nagged at your brain like a disease anytime Robin was mentioned.

They should have known. Her disappearance couldn’t have been so quiet, not when Robin was so perfectly loud. You remind yourself that everyone was dealing with their own issues, that they would have been distracted by locating you, and surviving a damn apocalypse.

They should have known. If you were there, you’d have noticed in a heartbeat.

Steve pulls away when he hears footsteps echo out in the foyer, meeting your eyes with a smile you had yearned for in that bunker for months without really knowing why.

The smile had changed since you’d last seen it in the Upside Down. It still held a brightness to it you wanted to catch and keep forever, enveloping you in its warmth. It was his eyes that changed. Not always different, not always noticeable unless you were up close like this. A darkness kept flickering in and out, unbeknownst to the boy behind the brown eyes.

You tried to talk about it once. Steve had given his boyish grin and a confused laugh, saying he was probably just tired. You had accepted it then, too fearful of the truth to question it any further.

He was here, and so were you. That was enough to make it through the twisted fears weaving around your bones and the weight of responsibility that hung by a loose thread above your heads. To just hold each other… that was enough.

Right?

The loud creak of a floorboard drags your attention away, your shoulders stiffening when you see your father’s teary eyes, a solemn expression you’ve known your whole life.

“How is she?” You ask knowingly, abandoning the couch and wrapping your arms around yourself to join him in the foyer, Steve naturally drifting after you to lean against the doorframe.

“She’s in bed.” Hopper says, his voice surprisingly level for someone who was clearly not okay. Your need to never show emotion was always hereditary. “Poor kid’s exhausted. It… it doesn’t look like she’s in much better shape than she was two months ago.”

Since the Voice drained her completely, you think, gnawing at your bottom lip.

“Is there anything we can do?”

Hopper just shakes his head, eyes dropping. “Doesn’t look like it, kid.”

You’re prepared to offer uneducated options when you notice the front door was open by a crack, the morning light bleeding through like a dagger on the ground.

“Why’s the door open?” You say as you trail closer to it, slowly pulling it wider and peering out.

“You guys need to see this!”

Kali’s voice led you all out of the foyer and onto the porch of the Harrington household. Her head is tilted upwards, and you all trail your eyes to the sky, watching in horror as the air gets darker.

Threads of red substance twist and form together, twisting itself into some kind of dome. It crept further and further above you until you were sure it was covering Hawkins completely.

It was trapping you all in, goosebumps raising on the skin of your arms.

“It’s him, isn’t it?” You look at Kali, her determined eyes matching your own.

“He’s using her.” She replies, looking back at the window of El’s room. “That’s why he needed Jane. For more power.”

“Why trap us all in here?” Hopper questions, clenching his fist, imagining his daughter still laying unconscious on that bed.

“We’re one of his experiments now.” Kali glares at the ground before turning to face everyone. “If we don’t stop him, we’re all going to die.”

The air bit into your skin, and a flurry of voices echoed from inside the house behind you. Hopper answered the panicked questions, his voice muffled by the loud rhythmic thump of your heartbeat flooding your ears.

This morning, you were protected by a cloud of blissful ignorance. Now, you were standing at the edge of an armageddon, wanting nothing more than to climb back into those sheets and pretend for just a moment more.

You hold Steve’s hand tighter, finding his eyes. His head dips with a small nod, an unspoken promise that lingered between you both. As long as you had each other, there was nothing you couldn’t survive.

As long as his hand was in yours, everything will be okay.

Armageddon, The Fall of Hawkins

Date: Unknown

If you could take it all back, you’d do it in a heartbeat.

There was a sharp ringing in your ears, rendering you deaf against the visual slaughter of rubble around you. Shadows and shapes were moving in silent screams, a flurry of daggers and claws clashing with each crimson flicker of the sky. Grime clung to your clothes and weighed you down into the dirt with all the other bodies planted into the battlefield.

The only warmth you felt was that of the tears still slipping down your cheeks. You held something cold in your hands while you ignored the persistent tugs at the jacket on your shoulders, a murmur of cries and yells targeted at your head.

Your body shook with regret, your gaze trained to the consequence. It wasn’t the blood or tears that racked you with guilt; it was the permanence.

It wasn't meant to end like this. He wasn't meant to die. And yet, you drove that knife into his chest five times before his lifeless body lay limp in your arms. 

But you had to do it. 

You had to kill Steve Harrington.

@sheisjoeschateau . @kthomps914 . @curled-hair-red-lips . @nix-rose .

@palmtreesx3 . @kryztalglear . @sattlersquarry . @hey-barnes-stole-a-jeep . @sadslasher13 .

@iliveonteaandbooks . @innercreationflower . @newyorkangelbaby . @totally-bogus-timelady . @pansexualhoor .

November of your junior year, you had crashed into another student in an empty hallway, and the rest was history. You fell in love, you got your heart broken, and you created something that would last an eternity.

Eddie gave you reason to believe that everything was going to be okay. Your past didn’t matter, and the horrors of Hawkins were only temporary. He gave you safety in the normality of his presence. He’s the reason you didn’t give up.

So, after everything you’ve been through, after all he’s done for you… there wasn’t a chance in hell you were going to leave his broken figure in a stark white prison.

The glass was cool against your hand, far different from the burn of tears steadily slipping down your face.

“I need an answer.”

Kay’s hoarse voice scratched at your thoughts, pulling your eyes away from Eddie’s shaking frame on the other side of the glass.

Give me Eleven, and I’ll give you Eddie Munson.

The request was firm, the woman’s steady expression leaving no room for debate.

Your eyes flicker back to the glass, your heart clenching. 18 months. They’ve been keeping him hostage for 18 months.

“What have you been doing to him?”

Kay’s eyebrows shoot up while your eyes stay fixed on Eddie. “That’s classified, I’m afraid.”

“Hm.” You sound, taking one last look at the red marks coating his arms before you push away from the glass completely, turning your head to the woman in charge. “Sullivan put him through sixty-three rounds of some kind of treatment, claimed nothing was working, and yet you specifically requested he be transferred here.”

That stumped her. Kay’s brows furrow with the uncertainty of her secrecy. “How did you-”

“And I have to assume you didn’t just do it for leverage.” You continue, your hand twisting the hem of your jacket as you force your heart rate to calm. “I’m not important enough for that. No, you’re trying to find something, learn something. So, you want El to… what? Take her power? Restart Brenner’s program?”

A mindless laugh echoes in the air once it’s released from Kay’s throat. You bite the inside of your cheek as she signals for the remaining soldiers to clear the room. They obey, and suddenly it’s just you and her, and the boy you thought you lost sitting behind the window.

“I may have underestimated you, Miss Mayfield. Or, may I call you Y/n?”

You don’t respond, and she just smirks.

“I’m offering you a chance to right all of this wrong.” She says, eyes beady with caution. “What I am trying to create here is opportunity. Brenner made many mistakes, ones I am inclined to believe could have very easily been avoided if he had kept a leash on one very special child. Eleven is dangerous, but I can help her be the greatest asset this country has ever seen. She can help us understand this impossible world, and we can save your friends. You see, Y/n, I’m not the bad guy here. I’m only trying to help.”

Your shoulders drop, a visible exhale that makes her smile.

“You seem like an intelligent girl, Miss Mayfield. Well, clearly.” She vaguely gestures to your presence, clasping her hands back together. “So, I will admit to you that we took Eddie Munson into our care after his medical results were reported to us. They were unlike anything those doctors had ever seen. To put it simply, your friend should be dead, and yet he is still here. And considering the unidentified bites on his body, we knew straight away he had stumbled into something greater than he could have ever imagined. Our goal was to find out why he was still breathing, and if it had anything to do with his experience down here.”

The silence was starting to fray the edges of her smile, and Kay took a step closer to you, voice low.

“I am willing to forget he was ever here, Y/n. But I will only release him once Eleven is in my custody.”

You eventually meet her gaze, slowly nodding. She’s pleased at the action, sighing.

“I’m glad you’re seeing the bigger picture.”

“I am. My answer is no.”

Her body tenses, eyes flashing with a silent rage. You only shrug, suddenly all too calm.

“I’m not giving you El.” You bark out a breathy laugh, shaking your head. “Your whole speech of saving us is such bullshit. You have no idea how to stop all of this. And there’s no way in hell you were ever going to let Eddie go. If it was really that easy, he wouldn’t still be here. You wouldn’t keep a problem around, you would have killed him and they would have found his real body in the woods.”

Kay’s expression darkens much like the walls in the room, her hand wavering closer to the gun strapped to her belt. She didn’t intimidate you. She couldn’t, not with the silent visitor currently seeping through the vents.

“I like to think I’m smarter than I look.” You say, clenching your jaw. “So, if I were to guess, you did try to kill Eddie. But for some reason, he came back.”

Her hand was touching the cool metal now, her body bracing. “How could you possibly know all of that?”

“Because El was never the answer.”

With a burst of unnatural energy, you throw both your hands out to her. She immediately raises her gun, finger already on the trigger, but it’s useless. You pull the black dust that had been slowly coating the wall behind her towards you, the thick smoke of darkness consuming the space she stood. 

Kay yells out, and a flurry of insistent thumps on the metal door start echoing around you. The soldiers wouldn’t get in for a while, and that gave you plenty of time to initiate the next phase.

The entire time Kay was delivering her speech on some bullshit world peace tactic, you had been creating a plan. They were never going to let Eddie go, and you definitely weren’t going to be making a deal. You had already sensed the Mind Flayer near. You think it must have followed you when those soldiers found you outside the Lab, patiently awaiting its moment.

Your hand reaches through the dust to tug away the keycard Kay clipped to her belt, running to the other side of the room and swiping it at the metal door.

Gunshots start ricocheting around you, and you duck just in time for a bullet to hit the wall beside you. The harsh green light beeps to life, and you push into the door, escaping the room just as the door finally bursts open with angry military men.

There wasn’t going to be much time for you to escape, but the Mind Flayer hadn’t left you like it did at the Wheeler house. It was still attacking Kay, and it was blocking the other soldiers from reaching you. You didn’t know its true intentions, but right now it was the only hope you had.

“Eddie?” You call out, blinking against the harsh white lights on the ceiling. The space he had occupied before was now empty, and your nerves spiked. “Eddie?!”

The door Eddie had been dragged in from was propped open, the small glass window smashed, pieces scattered on the ground. You cautiously walk closer to it, your fists clenching at your sides.

Small patches of crimson spotted the white ground, and you frown. The same red could be seen smothered in the edges of the broken glass still attached to the door. And when you peer through the gap, a body lay motionless on the other side, catching your breath in your throat.

And it wasn’t Eddie.

A force hits you from behind and you crash into the ground. Strong hands are keeping you down, and as you twist around to face them, something sharp presses into your neck. You cry out, reaching for an idea of a weapon with the aimless flail of your hand. You force yourself to look up, and you stop struggling.

Eddie glared down at you, hand clutching a glass shard so tightly that it cut into the palm of his hand, droplets of blood falling against your skin. His eyes were unfocused, an unsteady waver of his head as he kept the glass against your neck, not committing to pushing it any further.

“Eddie.” You gasp, slowly bringing one hand up to gently rest your fingertips on his wrist. “Eds, it’s me. It’s me.”

The fury of his gritted teeth fades, face falling with recognition. For a moment, he begins to smile with relief, then notices the sharp edge he was holding to your throat.

“Fuck.” He breathes out, a whisper of a voice that scratches his throat.

He scrambles away from you, throwing the shard to the ground and staring down at his hand like he didn’t believe what he almost did.

You slowly sit up, rubbing your neck. You study the way his hands shake, knuckles littered with small cuts. You’re reminded of the body behind the door, noting the guilt drowning in Eddie’s eyes. He was just trying to escape.

“Are you real?”

His small voice broke your heart. He could barely look at you, frozen with the same fear you had whenever Vecna had slithered his way inside your head. You open your mouth to answer just as a loud thump hits the locked door in the corner.

“I’m here, Eds. I’m not going anywhere. But you have to come with me.”

Eddie’s eyes flash to yours with uncertainty, staring down at your hand.

“Please.” You beg, and Eddie nods, reaching out to you.

You notice movement in the corner of your eye and lunge forward to grab his hand and pull him with you to the exit just as a soldier fired his gun into the large glass pane.

Sirens blare around you as you swiftly manoeuvre the both of you around the unconscious man on the ground and further into the base. You had no clue where you were going, guided only by the will to escape and survive. 

You turn a corner only to find three men already running towards you, guns raised and aimed. Eddie pulls you in a different direction before they can shoot, and you blindly follow.

Everything hit you like a blur after that.

Too many hallways, flashing lights, orders barked from angry men. You just focused on Eddie’s hand in yours, the two of you relying on one another to make the right decisions.

And when you found an exit, the door thrown open with haste and revealing the red sky, the grip on your hand tightened with relief and uncertainty.

Because you both knew the escape had only just begun.

“Dustin, do you copy?”

“Come in, Dustin, do you copy?”

“...Over?”

You throw the radio into the dirt, pressing your lips together as the sting of tears threatens your eyes.

You hadn’t made it far from the military base. You knew they’d catch up with you if you continued on foot, so you’d taken Eddie and hid you both in some kind of truck stop. There was enough cover that you wouldn’t be spotted immediately, and more than enough exits to start running again if they found you here.

The radio on your jacket was very much useless. The fall from the lab had damaged it on impact so you’ve had to search every vehicle on site just to find one measly radio in an attempt to contact your friends. You had adjusted the channels best to your capabilities, relying mostly on second-nature as your heart hammered in your chest. You tried contacting them again and again. No response.

“Maybe the signal is off.” Eddie suggests from beside you, voice barely a whisper.

He was wrapped in your jacket now, casually hiding the dirt and blood caked into his white shirt and pants. Black boots had been fitted onto his bare feet, courtesy of the soldier who left them in the passenger side of his truck.

Eddie’s arms held himself as his back pressed into the cool metal side of the military jeep, eyes tracking the scenery around you, in awe of his freedom and fear of his sentence.

You pull your gaze from the abandoned radio and focus on him, heart clenching. You hadn’t searched all this time to give up now. You can’t let him down again.

“Come on.” You say, shifting on your feet and pulling open the jeep door and motioning for him to climb in.

Eddie frowns, looking around him. “I think they’re gonna notice us stealing their truck.”

“We can’t just sit here waiting for someone to come save us.” You say gently, “The radio isn’t reaching the others which means they’re either on the surface, or…”

Your voice trails when you realise you couldn’t finish the sentence. The lab explosion may have thrown you from the building, but your friends were caught in that blast too. You couldn’t be certain they made it out.

“They could still be at the lab.” You finally say, nodding in confidence. “Either way, we have to get out of here.”

“Okay.” Eddie says, hesitating like he wanted to say something else before ultimately deciding not to waste anymore time.

As he shuts the door behind him, you quickly grab the radio from the ground and climb in the driver’s side, taking a deep breath. You had no idea how you were getting out of the Upside Down, but if you had anything at all it was determination and a terrifying amount of self confidence.

“Huh.” Eddie sounds as you pull away from the base and try to cruise along quietly, hoping to not alert anyone.

“What?” You frown, casting a glance at him.

“Just getting some insane deja vu.” He sighs in bewilderment, resting his head. “Always stealing other people’s vehicles.”

“If they didn’t want it stolen, they shouldn’t have left the keys in.” You grin and he laughs, tilting his head toward the window before his body goes rigid.

“Jesus christ.” He mutters and you frown. “Behind us.”

You adjust the rear view mirror, breath hitching. So much for a quiet escape.

“Step on it!” 

Eddie yells out and you slam your foot on the gas, jolting slightly at the sudden change in speed. Two trucks speed up to view behind you and you curse under your breath.

“Hold onto something!” You instruct as you find a road to follow, abruptly turning left.

The boy beside you braces himself in his seat, wild eyes staring behind him the entire time. “Holy shit, they’ve got guns!”

“I’d be more surprised if they didn’t.” 

You grit your teeth, clocking a dirt road and hazardously taking a right, stomach clenching every time you check behind and see the men getting closer. Where the hell were you meant to go?

“Y/n?! Are you there? Over!”

The radio thrown on top of the dashboard blares to life just as you take another sharp turn. It flies across the car and Eddie manages to swipe it into his hand before it flies out of the jeep, scrambling for the buttons.

He holds it out to you as you try to drive, getting as close as he can while you lean closer.

“Dustin! I’m here, over!”

“Oh thank god.” Dustin’s breathy voice mumbles into the speaker, and Eddie’s face drops with relief at the younger boy’s voice. “Where the hell are you, we couldn’t find you when the exotic matter exploded-”

“Shit, turn left!” Eddie yells at you, briefly removing the hand bracing against the dashboard to show the way, surprised at the massive wall suddenly in your way.

You throw your whole body into turning the jeep, barely escaping the collision with the border.

The truck behind you wasn’t so lucky. Eddie’s eyes widen in horror as it crashes into the wall, suddenly consumed by the flesh of it before disappearing inside completely.

And then something truly unpredictable happened.

The wall opened.

You felt it before you saw it, a strong force pulling you backwards, your foot firmly planted on the floor. You quickly turn in horror to see some kind of void sucking everything around you back in it before your vehicle wins the battle and tears away from the scene, steering you back towards the centre of Hawkins.

“WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!” Eddie cries out, juggling the radio in his hands while the distant noise of Dustin’s high-pitched voice continues to blast through.

“Y/N! I sweartofuckinggod you better answer me!”

“I’m here!” You grab the radio and steer with one hand, ignoring Eddie’s protest to your decision. “Getting chased down by our military friends and I have no idea where I’m going!”

“We know, El is watching you. Over.”

You and Eddie share a look. Should you be relieved or scared with that information?

“She says she found a gate!”

“Where?” You ask just as the ominous screech of tires echo from behind you. Another truck.

“Turn right!”

You don’t bother to ask, you just turn. Unfortunately, and expectedly, the soldiers follow you.

“I can’t lead them to it, Dustin, I need to lose them!”

“Don’t worry, we’ve got a plan.”

You frown at the ominous nature of it. “Do I get to know this plan?”

“Just… when I say jump, you definitely should.”

Eddie coughs. “Uh, did he say jump?”

You hand the radio back over to him, gripping the wheel with both hands. “I don’t think I’ve ever followed one of his plans that hasn’t ended in injury.”

Eddie blinks at you, the currently silent radio resting in his lap. “And the other option?”

The glass of the rear windshield suddenly smashes as a bullet rips through it, causing you both to duck in surprise and swerve the car. Eddie’s wide eyes finds yours again, shaking his head.

“Okay, yeah, jumping it is.”

Dustin’s voice fills the air once again as another shot rings out. You figured it was only a matter of time before they gave up chasing and started shooting to kill.

“Um, so you’re not gonna like it but you have to drive back to the border and cause another rift.” He says and you scrunch your face. “Yeah, El says you don’t like it. But it’s the only way you’re gonna lose them and get home without them following you.”

You shiver at the thought of El watching your every move, wondering if she has told the others Eddie is with you. She’s never met him before, so you would assume she’s confused at the stranger currently riding with you.

Can she hear your thoughts too, or just see your face?

The idea was too overwhelming, so you shake it away and turn to the border as instructed, holding your breath.

“I really don’t wanna do this.” Eddie admits as you line up on the road, the endless wall standing tall mere metres in front of you.

“We’re gonna be fine.” You say, hesitantly speeding up towards it as the trucks follow in tow. “Just, um, remember to jump.”

His hand tightens on the radio, other hand bracing on the car door. You shift yourself so you’re poised and ready to go, slamming down on the gas and barrelling straight towards a risky escape.

“Okay, counting down.” Dustin says, your heart caught in your throat.

“Three.”

The trucks get faster, gaining on you faster than you thought they would.

“Two.”

You start to let go of the wheel, grabbing the handle of the door.

“One-”

“Wait!” Eddie cries out, looking back at you. “What if they run us over when we-”

“NOW! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, JUMP!”

You both throw the jeep doors open and barrel straight into the dirt.

As you wince from the impact, you watch the previously occupied jeep crash directly into the vulnerable wall. You scramble backwards as the trucks slam on their brakes, and… nothing happened.

From the other side, you can see Eddie’s panicked eyes search for you, a flinch coating his body when the truck doors begin to open.

Fuck, you think, of course it didn’t work, when have you ever had any luck in the history of-

A giant groan cuts through the air. All heads turn to the jeep, watching the wall ripple with some kind of unexplainable force. You shouldn’t have stayed still as long as you did. None of you should have.

You see the jeep disappear before you can react, unintelligible yells from the soldiers immediately dragged after it. It felt like you were stuck in the middle of a hurricane with no way out.

The empty truck follows next, flying past and creating a clear path directly to Eddie. Men start climbing out of the final vehicle, ignorant to obvious danger, guns raised and aimed to kill.

Bullets never hit skin as intended, the strong force of gravity making every shot unpredictable. You manage to throw yourself over to Eddie, pulling him down as debris flies over your head.

You both struggle to escape the warped sense of gravity, every step suddenly pulling you further back.

The radio is still tightly clenched in Eddie’s fist and you grab it in haste just as a scream from a soldier carries through the air, the body disappearing inside the vortex.

“Dustin! The air is too thick, I can’t see anything!” You relay, blindly moving through the fog of dust and wind.

“Keep moving forward! El says in about ten steps you’re gonna hit something solid! Move along it and hide behind- it should hold until the wall seals back up!”

Sure enough, your hand hits something solid. A small structure, hopefully sturdy enough to protect you. One hand follows along the concrete, the other on Eddie’s back as you guide him forward.

You can vaguely see Eddie disappear around a corner, a breath of relief hitting you.

Before the breath was promptly taken by the harsh grab of an arm around your stomach, pulling you away from safety.

You scream out as you’re thrown back, the rift sucking you further away. Your hands grip onto the small strands of dead grass as you raise your head, hair whipping at your face. The barrel of a gun meets your eyes with the crazed eyes of the man holding it.

“Kay knows what you are now!” He yells out, and you recognise his voice. With the squint of your eyes, you realise he’s the same soldier who would interrogate you back on the surface. He grits his teeth, crouching down, feet planted firmly on the ground. “Far too dangerous to keep alive-”

“Get away from her!”

The shot rings out, but it misses your head. The flying force of Eddie Munson knocks the soldier to the ground, both struggling for the gun. In one quick decision, Eddie grabs onto the man’s jacket and pushes him further towards the void.

There isn’t any time for the man to grab anything, and you watch in horror as his body flies past you and directly into the vortex, disappearing into the terrifying hurricane just as the wall starts to finally seal itself shut.

Your hands ache from the grip on the ground as you push yourself back up, looking around you. One empty truck parked a few feet away, no soldiers in sight.

Eddie shares a look with you, the energy depleted from his body as he breathes heavily.

“Rift is closed.” You remember to speak into the radio, catching your breath. “What now? Over.”

“El found a small gate left open back at the Creel House.” Dustin says, and you curse under your breath.

“Of course it is.” You mutter, automatically turning to the hill nearby with disdain.

“We’re heading there now, wait for us on the other side. Over and out.”

“He wants us to go back to the murder house?” Eddie frowns, eyes darting between you and its shadowy silhouette on the hill. “Isn’t that, like, where Vecna lived?”

“He’s not there anymore.” You say as you strap the radio to your hip.

“And the… bats?”

You both instinctively look up, a clash of red lightning illuminating the dark but albeit clear sky. You frown. How come there aren’t any monsters nearby?

“We’ll keep an eye out.” You nod, offering a comforting smile before the distant sound of an engine echoes out. “Shit, let’s go before we have to do all of that again.”

The Creel House was barely a house anymore.

When the gates split open Hawkins, the Creel House was split in half. You’re still not sure how Lucas and Max managed to escape it, especially now you’re looking up at the dreaded attic, eyes trained to the rotten slit through the whole building.

You haven’t been here since you and Max died. You’re not even sure what it looks like back on the surface.

“You okay?”

Eddie asks from beside you, a frown ever present on his features as he takes in your mournful look.

“I will be once we’re out of here.” You sigh, and he nods.

“Amen.”

You both climb through the gap in the wall, looking around the house with wide eyes.

“Holy shit.” Eddie sounds a low whistle.

The interior was… the same. The only difference was the separation of the building, leaving a black and blocked-in abyss in the middle of everything. Presumably the military’s efforts to seal the gates. But other than that, the house was frozen in time much like everything else down here.

“I don’t see any gates.” Eddie whispers as you both peer down at the split, shaking his head. “They’re one hundred percent sure one’s here?”

You go to answer when the idea strikes your mind, eyes trailing to the staircase on the other side of the rift. Would it have even been possible to seal the gate from up there?

“The attic.” You breathe out, biting your lip. “Lucas told me he first saw the gate split open the attic. Maybe they missed a spot.”

Eddie doesn’t reply, he just follows. You slowly make your way across the other side, cautiously testing the black slit before you step onto it and towards the staircase, staring down at the dead vines that coated each step.

You remember holding Robin’s hand when she was scared she’d fall into the trap, the uneasy look Nancy had given you when she feared reaching the top would be your demise. The promise to Steve that everything would be okay, when it most certainly never was.

Your hands grip onto the banister before you can change your mind, making your way up the staircase as you swallow the fear trapped in your throat.

“This way.” You say quietly, leading Eddie through the hallways to the attic like it was your own home, ignoring the goosebumps plastered all over your body.

You turn the corner and have to fight the urge to cry.

“El will find a way to kill you.” You spit and he seems surprised before anger takes over, lowering his head and glaring up at you.

“You won’t be here to find out”

A frown appears on your face just before a choked gasp leaves your lips.

Tick, tick, tick, tick…

His blood-curdling smile haunts your mind as something trickles from your mouth.

You’re too focused on the flickering image of a grandfather clock, cracking glass echoing behind your eyes, to know what Vecna had done.

Looking down, a tear slipping down your cheek, you see his claws had been plunged into your stomach and struck up to puncture your lungs.

“Is that it?”

You blink away the tears to see Eddie already wandered into the room, eyes trained on the small red glow from beneath a floorboard.

You both grab onto each side of the wood and move it away, gasping at the sight of a red, glowing gate completely untouched by the makeshift military grade band-aids.

“Ready to go home?” You ask Eddie, his watering eyes illuminated from the crimson light below.

“You have no idea.”

You find a smaller wooden pole in the room, possibly from a disassembled table or chair, and strike it through the pulsing membrane of the gate, scrunching your face when the bright light of a blue sky shines through. It seemed big enough to climb through, but you weren’t entirely sure what would be waiting on the other side.

“Let me go first, make sure the coast is clear.” You offer and Eddie nods patiently, crouching down beside you.

You position yourself on your knees, reaching both hands into the gate to find something sturdy to grab on the other side. Eddie holds his hands out ready to help you through, and you smile at his offer, taking a deep breath.

Here goes nothing, you think, ducking your head through the gap.

The breath releases from your lungs when you feel your hair suddenly flip, hands finding something like a rock with grooves to latch onto and pull yourself back to the surface. You felt Eddie’s hand on your ankle guiding you up and when your whole body was through, you rolled onto your back and stared up at the sky.

Home. Finally home.

You quickly sat up, assessing the space around you. 

The Creel House was now in ruins, the building collapsed into a pile of debris. You’re surprised the military hadn’t covered the gate, though you wondered if they sealed it from the Upside Down instead.

From what you could see, you were alone. No military, or friends. No Vecna lurking in the shadows waiting for you to appear.

You lean back down to the gate and offer a hand, grabbing onto Eddie’s and helping him through next, guiding him up.

When his torso was through, you did your best to wrap your arms around him and tug him out, his body collapsing next to yours with a breathy laugh.

“Wow.” He says, staring at the clouds.

“What?” You ask as he slowly sits up, looking at you with a shaky smile.

“I… I didn’t think I’d get to see that again.” He admits, pointing up at the sky with such relief it made your chest ache with guilt.

And in that moment, with nothing chasing you and no expectation, you finally pull Eddie into a hug and cry into his shoulder, hands gripping the denim of your own jacket over his shoulders.

He laughs out a cry, then winces when you pull him closer.

“Shit, sorry-” You start to pull away but he shakes his head, holding you tighter.

“No, it’s okay. Please, just- don’t let go of me yet.”

You both stayed like that for a while, sat in the debris of a haunted house with the relief of survival.

When you did finally part, Eddie told you everything that happened. Well, what he could remember; the last time he saw you, waking up strapped to a table, different injections and countless nights spent staring up at a brick ceiling. Every night had faded into one long nightmare he wasn’t sure he’d make it out of.

You told him you had been searching for him ever since he was taken, that Dustin missed him more than anything, and that Vecna had returned to wreak more havoc.

You didn’t tell him about your illness. There was only so much he could handle right now.

“18 months, huh?” Eddie says, his hands fiddling with a daisy he found in the grass. You were both sitting further down the hill now, looking out for the appearance of your friends ready to take you home.

“Something like that.” You say softly, resting your chin on your knees.

“And, you…” He looks at you, brows pinched together, a smirk on his lips. “You never gave up.”

“I got you into this mess.” You admit, eyes blurry with tears. “I sure as hell was gonna get you out of it.”

He hums then, smiling gratefully as he discards the twisted daisy back to the earth. “So… I saw the whole dust thing happen. Mind Flayer, right?”

“Yep.” You squint against the sun, wondering where the dust was now. “Definitely did not think that was going to work.”

“Any chance I have superpowers now?” Eddie innocently asks, and you frown. “You know, since the Mind Flayer is technically a part of me too.”

“I like to think I’m smarter than I look.” You say, clenching your jaw. “So, if I were to guess, you did try to kill Eddie. But for some reason, he came back.”

Her hand was touching the cool metal now, her body bracing. “How could you possibly know all of that?”

“Because El was never the answer.”

You almost forgot the most important part of all of this. The dust that was currently coursing through your veins, the very same Eddie had from when you brought him back to life. He needed to know.

“About that-”

The loud sound of an engine freezes your admission, Eddie’s eyes darting down the hill to where he can just make out a van approaching.

“Shit, should I-”

“Hide.” You nod, standing up and pointing back to a tree beside you. “Just in case.”

Eddie doesn’t need to be told twice. He slips around the trunk and crouches low, holding his breath as you make the effort to walk further down the path, prepared to take whatever fall.

When the van gets closer, you notice the familiar WSQK van rolling towards you and you sigh with relief.

Before it even came to a full stop the driver’s side was thrown open, a very relieved and concerned Steve Harrington rushing to you before you even had time to process it.

You prepare an apology, expecting him to scold you for disappearing. “I-”

Your words were cut off as soon as his arms wrapped around you, holding you close as he cradled your head, face buried in your hair.

“Stop scaring me, Mayfield.” He mumbles.

You grip onto him tighter, breathing out a laugh with little effort.

“I’m so sorry.”

He pulls away, hands immediately finding your face and brushing the tears away with his thumbs. “You don’t have to be sorry for anything. I do. Everything I said, I didn’t mean it, okay?”

“No, you’re right. I do stupid shit.” You laugh and he presses his forehead to yours, smiling. “And I shouldn’t have just left you. I won’t do it again, I promise.”

He stares down at you with teary eyes, gently stroking your cheek. “You better.”

Your eyes flicker between his loving brown eyes down to his lips, heart racing. He notices, because of course he does, his head automatically leaning closer to you until-

“Holy shit!”

Dustin Henderson comes bounding up the hill, and Steve reluctantly lets you go, a soft blush on his cheeks as he runs a hand through his hair.

The air is practically knocked from your lungs when Dustin all but crashes into you, muttering into your stained sweater. “You’re alive. Oh my god, I thought you died.”

You plant a quick kiss on the side of his head before patting his shoulder. “Yeah, that seems to be the theme around here.”

His confused stare softens as he catches sight of something over your shoulder. You step away, biting your lip, watching the boy you’ve been searching after for 18 months step out from his hiding place, a cautious grin on his tired expression.

“Hey, Henderson.”

Dustin stares like he’s seen a ghost. Well, technically he has. His wide eyes turn to you, but you’re already smiling, nodding in encouragement.

Then, with a final raise of his chest, he almost screams.

“HOLYFUCKINGSHIT!”

Steve winces at the noise, stumbling back with a smile while you laugh, watching Dustin tackle Eddie so hard they almost fell over.

As soon as you could hear Dustin’s muffled cries, you turn away and wipe your own, steadying yourself.

Everything was better now. It wasn’t perfect, but it was better.

“Looks like all that work paid off.” Steve says, casting a glance over his shoulder to where Dustin was laughing in the reunion with his idol. You could see the happiness in his eyes, if only hidden by the guilt of what he’s said.

“It’s nice knowing I made a good difference this time.” You admit quietly, shoulders slumping as the exhaustion finally caught up to you.

“Let’s get you guys out of here.” Steve says loud enough for the boys behind to hear, hand already on the small of your back. “We’re gonna regroup with the others, but then you definitely need sleep.”

“Rude.” You comment half-heartedly, leaning against him.

As you get closer to the van, Steve suddenly stills, stopping you just as his hand grabs onto the handle.

“So, uh, there’s a surprise for you.” He says, hiding his smile with a cough.

You narrow your eyes before a yawn takes over. “I don’t know if I can handle another-”

“It’s a good one.” He interrupts, not even bothering to fight his grin now. “I promise.”

“Correction,” Dustin adds, bouncing excitedly and making you laugh in surprise, “It’s a great one.”

Before you could question, or protest, or even breathe, Steve slides open the side of the van and reveals every reason you’ve been fighting for.

You see Lucas first, his eyes lit up with a joy you hadn’t seen in months.

And behind him, sitting carefully on the ground surrounded with blankets, is the aching sight of your little sister, tears already in her eyes.

“Hey.”

Chapter Nine, coming soon

@kthomps914 @sadbitchfangirl @d4ily-s-nsh1ne @jujujujululu

Hawkins Lab, or the Department of Energy as many knew it to be, wasn’t an unfamiliar sight. The only difference this time was that you were physically walking through it yourself, and not through some projection Vecna created.

Every wall was covered in vines, dirt and grime sliding along the surfaces. It looked untouched and lived in at the same time, the white walls and floors reflecting the flashlights back onto your faces. It was creepy here, and not just because of the stories you’ve heard about this place. It didn’t feel like you were alone.

“Where are we going exactly?” Nancy asks.

“Right. Like, what is it we’re looking for?” Jonathan adds.

“You’ve all seen Return of the Jedi?” Dustin smirks. You open your mouth to answer, but Steve beats you to it.

“The one with the teddy bears?” He frowns, and you sigh.

“You mean Ewoks?”

“What’s the difference?” Steve smirks, “It’s the best one.”

“Is it?” Nancy questions and you shake your head silently.

“No, but every child loves it, so… tracks.” Dustin smiles sarcastically and you nudge him gently, trying to avoid any more fights this evening.

“Are you suggesting the Lab is a Death Star?” You ask curiously, and Dustin genuinely smiles.

“No, more like… the Upside Down is a Death Star, and somewhere in here is the shield generator that powers the impenetrable shield on the Death Star. Or, in this case, the massive wall.” 

“What the hell are you talking about?” Steve frowns, voice echoing off the vine-ridden walls. His eyes darted between you and Dustin as you seemingly nerd out on a subject he wasn’t well-versed in.

“I think this circular flesh wall is Vecna’s version of an energy shield, except it’s not sci-fi, it’s supernatural. Created by Vecna’s dark magic. And this dark magic shield is what’s preventing us from reaching him and saving Holly.”

You all come to a stop now, facing Dustin.

“So you think this generator has to be here.” You frown, and he nods with you.

“We find this dark magic shield generator, and… destroy it.” Jonathan follows along, Nancy’s lips tightening.

“Find Vecna, save Holly.”

“Medals for all.” Dustin sighs.

You smile a little at that, a small reminder of everything you’ve all been through in the last five years, the battles you’ve won.

“You two haven’t changed.” Dustin commented, smirking.

“So, a secret message.” You look to the boy, very much intrigued.

“What- what does that mean?” Steve asks and you lean into him.

“A secret is something that nobody else knows.” You mock.

“I miss when you didn’t talk to me.” He deadpans and you smile sarcastically at him.

Dustin clears his throat, a grin on his face as he looks at you both. “It means, Steve, we could be heroes. True American heroes.”

“Huh. American heroes.” Steve smirks, nodding along.

“America’s screwed.” You mutter.

You can imagine that brightly coloured Scoops booth like it was yesterday, Dustin’s wide toothy grin beaming up at you, Steve’s leg continuously brushing against yours as you both tried to deny your feelings for each other.

And you could hear it. Very clearly. Echoing from further down the hall…

“And it looks like what?” Steve asks, and Dustin scrunches his face.

“How would you expect me to know that?”

“Did you guys hear that?” You ask quietly, turning back around to where everyone stood in awkward silence. You hadn’t even realised you’d moved away from them, peering at nothing. Nancy frowns.

“Hear what?”

“I thought…” You listen out again, only met with the eerie clap of thunder rumbling around the building. Everyone was looking at you now, faces concerned, making you anxious. “Um, nevermind. Let’s find this generator.”

You walk beside Dustin, the both of you sweeping through the halls with your flashlights, the other three in tow behind you. You come across a staircase, and you both look at it with indecision.

“Up or down?” Dustin asks you just as the others stop beside you, and you bite your lip.

“Strategically?” You raise your eyebrow, sharing looks with your friends, “Both.”

“Agreed.” Nancy nods, “Search in teams of two. Cover more ground.”

“Yeah, that’s cool with me, but can we just switch the teams up?” Steve voices, and you all frown at him. “Nance, you and me go up?”

You tilt your head at the way Steve is avoiding everyone’s eyes but Nancy’s. Sure, he and Jonathan have never been a duo during any of these escapades before, and he and Dustin were having some kind of bromance spat. But why… you? As far as you’re concerned, you’re both friends. Well, admittedly, you’re a little more than that, but you’ve always had each other’s backs.

Steve catches the hurt look in your eye, and his face falls.

Nancy’s mouth opens in surprise, “Um…”

“Are you serious?” Jonathan stares at him, anger crossing his face.

“Me and Henderson need some space.” Steve tries to explain, nodding at the boy beside him. He then turns to you. “And I know he’s gonna want to partner up with you anyway.”

“Right.” You purse your lips, and Steve starts to look a little panicked when you walk around him to stand beside Dustin.

“God, yes, we need space.” Dustin sighs, and Jonathan scoffs.

“Fine.” He looks up at Steve with a shrug. “How about me and you?”

“I think we need some space, too.” Steve deadpans.

You manage to catch Nancy’s eye from across the group, her face worn with exhaustion from both the search for her sister and the insane amount of bickering you’ve both had to put up with this entire time.

“Oh, so, everyone but Nancy.” Jonathan whispers at him as if you all couldn’t hear. “That’s just… it’s convenient.”

Nancy’s jaw is set tight then, her eyes filling with unusual rage. You’ve heard her many complaints about Jonathan over the past year; he doesn’t listen, he’s clingy. But, most of all, you’ve heard about how insanely jealous he keeps being around anyone he deems as a threat. And you know it’s about loss, about Jonathan’s fear that his girlfriend is going to leave him because he’s not and can never be enough for her. Jonathan has always shared how distant Nancy is becoming, and how much he wishes she’d be a little less stubborn about being so self-dependent all the time. And the worst part is that neither of them can see that their actions are hurting each other.

You just want to lock them in a room together until they figure everything out.

Nancy glares at the boys, opening her mouth. “Look-”

“No.” You suddenly say, cutting off Nancy’s words. “No, we’re not doing this. Steve, you’re with me and Dustin, and we’re gonna go downstairs. Nance and Jon, you guys search up. Keep your walkies on, and we’ll keep each other updated.”

Jonathan visibly relaxes at this, nodding to his girlfriend. Nancy sends you a grateful look, adjusting the strap on her gun and leading him towards the staircase.

“Guys, no I can’t-”

“Please, don’t make us-”

Steve and Dustin immediately object and you glare at them. They snap their mouths shut, looking away from you.

“Come on.” You say, shining your light down the stairs and sighing.

“Okay, that was too many stairs.”

The hallway you stepped out into wasn’t visually any different from the rest of Lab, vines claiming the walls, an unsettling chill drifting in the air. But the lowest level held a kind of darkness that settled an uncomfortable weight in your chest, keeping you on high alert.

“Treasures are always hidden in the deepest depths of the dungeon.” Dustin says eerily, and you share a look with Steve.

“What is it, a treasure or a magic shield generator?” Steve mutters, rolling his eyes. “Keep your metaphors straight, dude.”

“Analogy.” Dustin corrects, the growing argument on his tongue subsiding with his flashlight glinting against double doors, raising his eyebrows at you. “Shall we?”

“We shall.” You nod, ignoring the frown on Steve’s face.

You can only imagine his growing frustration with every interaction between you and the younger boy. It wasn’t the fact you were friends, but rather that Dustin barely casted him a glance nowadays. Steve was probably wondering what he did wrong, and what you managed to do right.

You and Dustin push the doors open, and are met with a cause for concern.

“Okay.” Steve looks around the room with a frown. “Did not expect to find a daycare in this hellhole.”

You look at the brightly coloured stripes on the walls, feeling your heartbeat quicken. Rainbow room. It was a phrase El mumbled in her sleep the same night Will’s ‘body’ was found in the lake. The way her face scrunched up proved the words did not provide comfort. And for a girl that barely spoke, it was practically bone-chilling to hear her say it.

This must have been what she was so scared about. The same place she sent Henry into another dimension.

A room meant to calm the minds of kidnapped children.

Your flashlight automatically shines onto the back wall, glass shattered around a gaping hole, the vines protruding from the space and curling around everything near it.

“Holy shit, Henderson.” Steve laughs, walking over to a table and plucking a marble from it. “You were right. Treasure.”

Dustin thins his lips, ready to ignore the comment. Then you saw the irritation take over his better judgement when Steve throws the marble to him, the younger boy staring down at it in his hand with a frown.

“Okay, you know what?”

“What?” Steve responds, barely looking away from the marble maze.

“This is the perfect spot for you, considering your arrested development.” Dustin says and your eyes widen. Steve finally turns around. “So, while me and Y/n search the rest of the basement, why don’t you stay here and play with your balls?”

Your mouth is open in shock now. How many times had they argued like this when you weren’t around to hear it?

“Perfect, yeah. Finally a plan I can get behind.” Steve nods sarcastically, suddenly gesturing to you. “At least I can do something without my babysitter.”

You raise your hands in surrender. “Don’t drag me into this.”

“Come on, Y/n.” Dustin says, already walking out of the room.

“No, actually.” Steve stops him, nodding to you. “She stays with me.”

Dustin narrows his eyes. “No, she’s not.”

“She is getting very uncomfortable.” You say, looking between them with confusion.

“We’re meant to be rescuing the youngest Wheeler, in case you’ve forgotten.” Dustin points out, standing in the doorway with his flashlight facing the ground. “Not making out in some creepy nursery.”

Steve looks a little flustered then, making you frown. “You know what? Fine, whatever. Good luck finding your… treasure. I mean, shield generator. I mean, made up bullshit.”

“Thank you!” Dustin calls out from the hallway, and you’re still standing in the room, feeling awkward and conflicted.

“Aren’t you meant to be going after him?” Steve asks, assessing another table. This one had slots in it, a pile of counters dumped next to it on the floor.

“You could give him a break, you know.” You say it as soon as you think it, and his eyebrows raise.

“You say that like he isn't the one acting like a child.”

“He is a child.” You point out, voice softer this time. Steve runs a hand down his face with a sigh. “He’s sixteen, Steve. And he's been stuck dealing with all this bullshit since he was twelve. Just… I know it’s annoying, but please, we both know how much he's going through right now. All I ask is you give him the benefit of the doubt. I can't be dealing with yet another one of your black eyes.”

Steve smirks a little, messing with a red counter. “You say that like I’m gonna lose a fight to a sixteen year old.”

“I say that because I know you would never fight him back.”

His shoulders slump with the gravity of responsibility, his eyes flickering to yours, knowing you're right. Like always.

“I should go check on him.” You say after a while, looking around the room as you walk towards the hallway.

Just before you go, you turn your head back to Steve, his eyes already on you.

“And just so you know,” You start, glancing at the white walls, “A creepy nursery is the last place I’d wanna make out.”

His neck and cheeks burn red as he barks out a laugh, facing away from you with a hand running through his hair.

“Noted.” Is all he says as you walk away, smiling to yourself.

Catching up with Dustin was easy. The boy had just wandered in a straight line, occasionally blaring the light into empty rooms, offering a smile when you joined him. Neither of you spoke. You just lived in the comfortable silence, albeit on edge about what you could find, and searched the place until you finally hit a dead end.

“It’s officially a bust.” You say, shoulders dropping. The bare wall in front of you stared back mockingly. “Unless this wall is suddenly gonna rotate and reveal a secret room. Maybe Jon and Nance had better luck.”

“I thought he didn’t like anyone calling him Jon.” Dustin queries with a smile as he turns around, taking a moment to lean against the wall.

“The guy lives with me for free, I call him what I want.” You say, making him chuckle. “Besides, I give everyone a nickname, you know? He’s Jon, Nance is obviously Nance. Even Lucas is Luke sometimes.”

“Madmax.” Dustin adds and you grin. “What about Harrington? Got a nickname for him?”

You narrow your eyes playfully. “What are you insinuating?”

“I’m not insinuating anything.” He says, sweeping his flashlight around the place like he was still searching. “You guys just seem to be… different.”

You go to comment but think the better of it. It wasn’t something you needed to talk about right now. Everything had already been said between you and Steve. All that was left was to save Hawkins, and see what happens.

“Well, for your information, I have many nicknames for him.” You say and Dustin raises an eyebrow.

“Like?”

“Hair-head.” You smile and he laughs, “I’m serious. I used to call him Hairy. Bird-brain for a while. Now he’s just… he’s Steve.”

“And what about me?” Dustin asks, grinning. “Any names for me?”

“I don’t think anything can top Dusty Bun-”

You say it without thinking, watching the smile disappear from his face.

“Shit, Dustin, I’m-”

“No, it’s okay.” He says, staring down at the ground. “You’re right. It’s a good one.”

Dustin’s eyes were light with memory, and sunken with regret.

His girlfriend, his Suzie, his very own hotter-than-Phoebe-Cates girl, was no longer a welcome distraction to all of Hawkins’ bullshit. You only found out a month ago that Dustin broke up with her just before summer, ending it before she could visit his home and remind him of everything he still had left. He hadn’t explained himself to you, and you’re not sure Suzie knew the real reason either. It wasn’t something he had to say.

You’ve spiralled yourself into loneliness more times than you can count, plunging you into the dark. You just wished Dustin would let that light burn bright again before it was too late for him, too.

“You should call her.” You say, and that surprises him. He looks up at you with a wary expression. “After all of this. When we defeat Vecna.”

A flicker of a smirk lifts the top corner of his lips, something light flashing behind his irises. “Maybe I will.”

“Wanna check out the last room?” You point out the door. It was a pretty short trip, and you can even see from here that there was nothing of note to it.

“Knock yourself out.” He says, reluctantly nodding his head to where you came from. “Should probably check Harrington hasn’t eaten any of those marbles. Let him know we haven’t found anything.”

You shake your head in amusement. “Okay, but play nice.”

He smiles sarcastically at that, retreating back to the rainbow room as you take the few short steps down the hall, sighing.

You beamed your light through the small window on the door first, the surprisingly clean glass showing you that the tiny room was overcome with vines. You couldn’t open the door if you tried. You didn’t really have any intention to.

Once Dustin’s footsteps could no longer be heard, you take a deep breath, shoulders drooping.

Dustin shouldn’t have to be mourning. The kid you once knew was so full of joy and curiosity, his beaming smile could light up any room even in the darkest of times. You hadn’t realised how much you relied on the peace of innocence until he had to watch his favourite person die in his arms, and then dragged from his life forever.

If you had never let Eddie get so close, none of this would have happened. Eddie would be safe and sound, somewhere far away from Hawkins with his uncle, none the wiser about the town’s terrifying secrets. Dustin wouldn’t feel like his heart had been ripped from his chest and fed to those bats, the hope slowly diminishing the longer he tries to pretend he’s fine.

You should tell him the truth. Selfishly, you didn’t want to. You couldn’t bear the thought of sweet Dustin Henderson hating you.

Even if you deserved it.

“I don’t hate you.”

Your breath hitches, eyes darting up the hallway.

“No, I don’t think I could ever hate you, Y/n.”

Your feet move before your mind can tell you to stop, your body and soul aching to find the voice.

“Why?”

Your own voice bleeds into the air as you turn down the corridor, the familiar words ringing louder the closer you were.

“Because whatever the hell happened in your past doesn’t matter.”

An open door beckoned you with the conversation, the room not so far from where Steve and Dustin currently were. You should call out to them, show them what you’re seeing. If they could even see it.

“You are funny, and smart, and, like, the coolest chick I know.”

Your fingers gripped onto the edge of the doorframe with so much vigour you were sure it would crumble beneath your touch. In the room, the voices echoed off the walls, enveloping you in their warmth. And just in the corner, you saw a light illuminating your past like a movie scene.

A younger you laughed through your tears, your hand grasped firmly in another’s.

You switched off your flashlight, gently placing it on the grey table opposite, and felt the tears fall as you can only stand and watch Eddie Munson remind you of everything you lost.

“Seriously. I… I really hate Hawkins. I’ve wanted nothing more than to get out of this hellhole, but… but I met you. And-and now I couldn’t imagine leaving now I know you exist.”

Your back hits the wall, the vines of your soul weaving tighter and tighter around your heart as you watch yourself pull him in for a kiss, averting your eyes like the memory was far too intimate for your future self to see.

The light disappears as you slide down the wall, eyes blurry, yours and Eddie’s figure vanishing like it was never even there.

Were you just seeing things now? Has your grief finally taken over?

All you could think now was how much better this would all be if you had done so many things differently.

“You would just love that, wouldn’t you?”

Dustin’s voice carries into the room, making you pause. 

“No, I’m just stating a fact.” Steve says this time, and you purse your lips. Wiping your eyes as they roll. Your moment of pity is officially over.

Men, you think as you gather your things and trail back after the unhappy couple.

“No, you’re gloating!” Dustin sounds angrier than you’ve heard him, and you think you should quicken your steps. “Despite the fact that if I am wrong, we don’t reach past the wall, and don’t find Holly. Do you understand how selfish you’re being?”

Not good, not good, you chant as you spot the wavering beams from their flashlights sticking out of the room up ahead.

“Me? Selfish?” Steve scoffs, “You wanna talk about selfish? How about when we finally reach Hop and El, we promptly ditch them to pursue this bullshit theory of yours? Not to mention, you’re the reason that we lost contact with them in the first place because of your no-show at the crawl. So, this whole mess is actually your fault, and I haven’t heard so much as a sorry.”

You’re almost at the doorway now, your flashlight still off and strapped to your hip, digging into your side as you walked.

“Shit. Again, it’s not like I just didn’t show up, Steve. I was attacked.”

“No, you wanted a fight, and that’s what you got. Just look at your face. You’ve done some stupid shit in the past, but this? Man, this takes the cake.”

“You wanna talk to me about dumb shit?! We both know you’re not pissed at me for- for walking away from Hop and El, you’re pissed because Y/n’s with us and you can’t do anything about that!”

You stop. Your boots are a step away from revealing yourself in the doorway, and yet you can’t seem to move.

“Bullshit.”

“No, no- you’ve not been telling the truth. I heard you and Jonathan. I know it wasn’t just Hopper or Y/n’s idea to keep her off the crawls, you specifically requested it.”

“She- she’s ill, man, and I’m not in charge of her! She does what she wants!”

“You talked to Hop before she ever even started having heart problems!”

The sole of your boot squeaks against the white floors, and both of the boys snap their heads to you. The colour in Steve’s face drains when he sees your hurt expression, your hands curled at your sides.

“What?” You manage to force it out of your mouth, quiet enough to avoid the echo lingering between four walls.

Steve can only stare at you, struggling to answer. 

“He did his usual bullshit and assumed he knew best.” Dustin spits, glaring at him. “Friends don’t do that to each other.”

“Friends? What do you know about friends, Henderson? Have you talked to any of them recently?” Steve counters, hands on his hips, avoiding your eyes like they were the plague to all of his bad decisions.

“I remember what it was like to have a good friend, a real friend who actually believed in me, and who was actually kind to me.”

“Aha!” Steve points an accusing finger at him.

“What?”

“There we go. That’s what this has all been about, really, is Eddie.”

Both you and Dustin physically recoil from the name like it burned you, and your voice cracks with a whisper.

“Steve, don’t-”

“No, we need to finally talk about it.” Steve dismisses you, eyes still set on Dustin. “All your bullshit, pushing everyone away, it’s because no one could ever be as perfect as he was.”

“He wasn’t perfect, but at least he knew that, unlike you.” Dustin fires back, and Steve shakes his head. You’re trying to muster up the words to get them to stop, but they barely make it out of your throat. “He was never fake! He didn’t care about what other people thought about him. He was just himself. And you know what?”

You watch Dustin’s eyes tear up, and the guilt starts twisting back into your stomach, bleeding through the cage you’ve been trying to lock it in like wildfire.

“He was the smartest, kindest person I’ve ever met. And he would’ve solved this in 30 seconds flat.” Dustin gestures to the rubix cube in his hand, glaring at the older boy with such hatred, you don’t think you can recognise him anymore. It makes you feel sick.

Steve’s expression falters into a spiteful scowl, “If I’m such a goddamn idiot, how come I’m the one still standing here?!”

Dustin stalls, mouth parting in hurt. He goes to say something, but you’re breath hitches, reminding them both that you’re still in the room.

Your voice is cold as you step forward. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Y/n, you know-”

“No, Harrington.” You say, his name tasting bitter. He flinches at the way you say it. “Tell us how you really feel.”

“You’re both tearing yourselves up inside over a guy who chose death!” He argues, shaking his head in disbelief at your matching frowns of grief. He looks back at Dustin. “That night, I told you not to be heroes. I told both of you. What did Eddie do? He charged into a swarm of killer bats.”

“To save my life!” Dustin yells, and you grab his arm, still trying to control the situation even if the conversation pained you in so many ways.

“It didn’t matter that you were there, Y/n. If he hadn’t done what he did, the government would never have found him.” Steve says, meeting your eyes, trying to make you listen. “He still died, for nothing. He didn’t save anyone.”

“He saved everyone!” Dustin is struggling against you, voice breaking.

“You can keep telling yourself that, Henderson, but deep down, the reason you’re so goddamn pissed is because you know the truth.”

“Steve, shut up!” You try, trying to keep hold of the younger boy in your arms, hating the way he shakes against you.

“Eddie wanted to play hero, and he made a dumb call, and he got himself killed. In the Upside Down and on the surface.”

“Shut up!” 

Dustin finally breaks free with a scream.

The rubix cube launches from his grip, straight into Steve’s temple, and he flies at him, tackling him to the ground.

“You haven’t had my back this entire time!” Dustin yells as he slams him back into a wall. You’re screaming at them to stop, unable to put an end to it without catching a fist yourself.

“You haven’t let anyone have your back!” Steve defends, grabbing onto the chair he was currently being hit with. “Hey, stop it, man!”

“You don’t give a shit about Eddie, you don’t give a shit about me!”

Dustin shoves Steve away hard enough for his body to slam into a table, a grunt echoing from Steve’s lips.

“Henderson, stop!”

Steve manages to grab onto him the next time Dustin comes flying, locking his arms around his torso in an attempt to stop him. His back hits the wall, and you can only stand there helplessly.

“You’re gonna hurt yourself, man, calm down!”

“Screw you!” Dustin screams as he throws himself away.

The both of them suddenly go through the shattered window, rolling over the frame and colliding into one another on the ground with a thump. You rush over, gripping the edge and looking down at them.

“Guys, please-”

“Y/n, stay out of this.” Steve says, gritting his teeth. He looks over at you with a look you’ve only seen a few times. Remorse. Dustin sees it instantly.

“That’s why you’re so mad, huh?” Dustin growls, crawling away from him. “You hate Eddie because she always liked him more than you.”

Steve’s eyes darken. “Shut your fucking mouth, Henderson.”

Dustin punches him, and you jolt with the shock of it. Steve catches the next throw, pulling him to his feet.

“Enough, man, enough!”

Both of them hit another wall, separating, slamming into the ground once again.

“Please, Dustin, stop.” You’re crying now, and you’re not entirely sure why. Maybe you’re mourning the boy you once knew.

“You don’t deserve her.” He says, wiping his face with his sleeve. “She’s the one who’s actually been there for me. She isn’t some liar who couldn’t give a shit about her friends."

“You have no idea what you’re talking about.” Steve glances your way, and your heart breaks.

“Dustin-”

“You went to his funeral, man! You pretended like you cared. But I bet you were glad his body showed up.” Dustin continues, hot tears streaming down his face at the memory. “We all know she would have picked him over you.”

“Dustin! Stop it!”

You climb over the frame, standing in front of Steve as he pushes himself off the ground. Dustin shakes his head at you.

“Why? I’m just proving Steve right. I am looking for a fight. Because I’ve lost anything and everything I had to keep fighting.” He cries, avoiding your eyes. “I don’t know how you do it. I really don’t. How can you keep going knowing he’s dead?”

His fists start to form again, and Steve sighs into the space, readying his body for another attack. This has to end. They can’t fight like this forever.

“You want something to punch, Dustin?” You crouch down, the flashlight digging into your thigh. “Then fight me.”

His head whips to you, frowning. “Why would I-”

“Because I did lie to you.” You say, biting your lip.

“Y/n-” Steve starts, but you hold your hand up.

“I’m still looking for Eddie. I have been ever since they found his body. Because… because I think he’s still alive. And I’ve been gathering proof.”

It’s suddenly silent. Steve has stopped moving, possibly awaiting the consequence of your admittance to come barreling directly for his throat. But Dustin stays still, his glossy eyes never leaving your face, overcome with the feeling of betrayal.

“Leave me alone.” He finally whispers, and your breath hitches.

“Come on, man.” Steve tries, but Dustin shoots him a deadly look.

“I said, leave me alone!”

“Fine.” Steve surrenders, standing up and tapping your arm. You silently climb back over into the room, staring at the floor, feeling like a disappointment. “I’m done, Henderson. You happy? I’m done.”

“Alright, yeah!” Dustin yells through his sobs, “Just go! You dumb, fake, asshole! I don’t wanna see either of your faces!”

The tears are falling vigorously down your cheeks as you flinch against the pained echoes of his voice disappearing into the air the further you went.

You just keep walking, heading back down the hallway and towards the staircase, your hands scrubbing at the tear stains on your cheeks, your heartbeat loud against your eardrums.

You had maybe climbed one flight before a sturdy tug on your arm stopped you from continuing, pulling you towards the corner with a gentle plea.

“Y/n, please, just stop a second-”

“Why?” You pull away from Steve and he lets you go, face worn with lament. “So you can keep talking about Eddie like he’s a dumb fucking idiot?”

“I wasn’t trying to-”

“Well, you did.”

You stomp up the next set of steps, Steve hot on your tail.

“Look, I was just angry, okay? I don’t think Eddie’s an idiot, I just think he did something stupid.”

You pause, and Steve knows he’s fucked up.

“Okay.” You say, turning around and looking down at him from your higher stair. “Steve. Do you actually feel that way, or are you just sick of hearing about him?”

His eyes dart across your face, features overcome with confusion. 

“Dustin loved Eddie. He meant everything to him.” The tears start bubbling up again, willing you to stop. You were never smart enough to listen. “And you’re- you’re just pissed because you think he looked up to him more than he ever did you. That’s just not fucking true, Steve.”

Steve’s anger had depleted entirely, the words caught in his throat, fingers shaking with the hope he could just reach out and hold your hand.

“Maybe Eddie didn’t save the world, but he fucking tried to do something.” You try to hold back the sting of tears once again, but you’re painstakingly unsuccessful. “That's all I've been trying to do, Steve. I want to help and I'm just so fucking bad at it.”

Steve’s face drops from his frown, eyes wide as he looks up at you with so much guilt you might as well be looking in a mirror.

“You're not-”

“So you wanting me off the crawls had nothing to do with my spectacularly horrific track record?”

He sighs out a shaky breath, and moves up the staircase by just a step, meeting your eyes.

“I’m scared that-” He pauses, closing his eyes, gulping. “I’m terrified that the next time we see Vecna, I’m going to lose you forever.”

You frown, holding onto the railing like it was the last thing keeping you upright. “What does that have to do with Eddie?”

“You two are pretty similar, you know?” He says, his gaze lowered to the floor. “Both giving too much of yourselves and ultimately paying the price.”

“I’m not going to die, Steve. In case you forgot, I’ve done that twice now and somehow I’m still standing here.”

“I’m not ready to take that risk again.” Steve takes another step up, the two of you as close as you can be in the small stairwell. His voice only gets quieter, eyes glazed over with confession. “When we found you in that attic, that was the worst pain I’ve ever experienced. In the hospital, I watched you flatline, and I relived it all again. I can’t lose you, Y/n. Not like this. Not like him.”

Your hand twitches against the cool metal, wanting nothing more than to place it on his cheek and wipe away the stray tear. But his words weave their way around your bones, the memory of the spite in his eyes when he told you Eddie Munson died a fool.

“Don’t worry.” You finally say, moving back, biting your lip. “I’ll make sure not to make an idiot of myself and die for nothing.”

He squeezes his eyes shut and runs a hand through his hair, unable to watch your figure disappear up the staircase and far away from him.

Nancy spotted your reddened eyes before you had even reached the top of the staircase, immediately reaching out to pull you into a hug you most certainly didn’t deserve.

“What happened?” She asks as she steps back, glancing behind you as if the other two would appear.

You don’t respond. You just grip the banister tighter, tilting your head, and she offers a sympathetic smile. You’d rather pretend nothing happened.

“You guys have any luck?” You ask, and Jonathan sighs.

“Nothing. We’re about to check the roof.” He points to the white block of a door in front of them and you frown.

“Yeah, uh, what’s with all the goopy stuff anyway?” You pat the solidified melted metal beneath your hand.

“No idea.” Nancy says as Jonathan kicks down the blockade.

It shatters instantly, and you all step out into the cool air.

“Whoa!” Jonathan exhales, turning around.

The melting curse had its worst effect here. The building looked like chunks of concrete had been left out in the hot sun too long, dripping and drooping around you. None of it made sense. What could have possibly done this?

“Should we be up here?” You finally voice, looking at Jonathan. “Like, are we gonna randomly melt as well?”

“We found a body in one of the hallways.” He shudders, peering over the edge of the building. “Everything around him was like this. But he was still in pretty good shape.”

You tilt your head, frowning. “Apart from being dead.”

“Yeah, there’s that.”

You wander further from the entrance, toeing at the puddles to ensure they truly were solid.

“Anything of note?” You ask no one in particular, keeping your flashlight on your hip. There’s enough light from the clashes of red lightning above to help you see, looking around you like the answer would be obvious.

“Just more of this melted shit.” Jonathan responds.

You follow Nancy to the centre of the roof, peering down at the intentional square gap in the middle.

“Remind me not to fall.” You say and she smirks.

“Don’t worry, I’ll catch you.” She replies and you pretend to swoon, making her laugh.

There was a time where you and Nancy spent every waking moment together. You miss those more than she’ll ever know.

“Wait.” She suddenly says as you continue exploring. You turn around, frowning.

“What is it?”

“Do you see that?” She waves her flashlight into the air. 

At first you don’t see anything, just the beam of light from her hand wafting in the space around you. And then you caught it. A small glint of light.

“What is that?” You ask, walking a little further from her and around the gap to get a better look from the other side. “Do it again.”

She nods, holding her flashlight back up.

The light was reflecting off of something that resembled… a dome? A ball?

“Jonathan.” Nancy calls out behind her, and her boyfriend trails over, frowning inquisitively.

“Why’s Y/n over there?” He asks, and you give a small wave.

“My light. Watch.”

Nancy demonstrates the same thing again, and Jonathan does the same. You watch as the second flashlight extends the volume of the invisible object, your breath hitching.

Whatever it was, it was massive.

“If anything’s gonna be a shield generator, my money’s on this thing.” You call from across the roof, and Nancy shrugs the shotgun off from her shoulder.

Jonathan finds something to throw, and the thing reacts to it. Small flickers of what looked to be electricity ripple along its surface, shining blue against the dark night. You take a step back, gasping at how tall it was compared to you.

The amount of energy this thing must have…

You can hear Jonathan trying to contact Steve and Dustin, shaking his head.

“What did they say?” You ask, your voice echoing.

“They’re out of range!” Jonathan explains as Nancy raises her gun.

Destroy the shield generator. That was the plan, or rather, the theory. Nancy’s gun would surely do the trick, and the wall would be weak enough to break through.

So why did you feel so uneasy about all of this?

You had a smaller radio attached to your jacket, one of Dustin’s specialties when trying to make communication easier. You had forgotten about it, used to the handheld bricks you once carried around. It crackled now, snippets of what you could only assume to be Dustin’s voice trailing through. He designed the radio to be a more secure connection, meaning he was reaching out to you specifically.

Considering what he learned in the rainbow room, he can’t just be trying to talk to you to catch up.

Something was wrong.

“Not… destroy…”

You stare at your friends through the clump of iridescent smoke, feeling your insides twist with doubt.

“ …you… die!”

Your blood runs cold. Nancy was bracing herself.

“Nancy, wait!” 

You scream at her, moving forward like you’d be able to run over before she pulled the trigger.

The shot rings out into the air… and nothing happens.

Nancy frowns at you, lowering her gun. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh, thank god.” You murmur, hands on your knees as you breathe in relief. Everything was fine, it wasn’t-

You heard it before you saw it. Crackling beams of light start echoing off from one another, stripping away the translucent dome piece by piece until you’re left with a fiery ball of angry, red mass.

It wasn’t like anything you’ve seen before, and it was beaming brighter than it should.

“Y/N!” You hear them call out from the other side, unable to see their figures through the crimson heat. “RUN!”

You couldn’t even if you tried.

The condensed energy suddenly bursts, throwing you backwards. You can hear Nancy scream, a violent rumble as the whole building shook from its force.

A building you were no longer on.

The blast threw you off your feet, pushing you away from it. There wasn’t much more roof from where you originally stood, nothing left to catch you as you fell. 

The energy started to pulse out slices of pure light, vibrating the air around you. You could feel the heat of it against your skin, raising goosebumps and blurring your eyesight. You didn’t recall how tall the building was, if the impact would be instant instead of agonising. You hoped the former, at least, if this was how you were to die.

You didn’t feel the weight of your body crash into the ground. It was strangely painless. And it wasn’t because you were dead. 

You try to move your neck, barely able to crane it to look down at your body. You wished you hadn’t.

None of your limbs were laying as they should. Bones were separated, parts of you broken and bloody. You should be dead. Why weren’t you dead?

Like the dreaded grim reaper, your answers call to you in a flurry of black particles, hovering above your body. You struggle to breathe for a moment, winded. There was liquid pouring from your mouth, but you couldn’t taste it. You couldn’t do anything.

The Mind Flayer settles into you, and that’s the only time you feel. Each blur of dust felt strange as it seeped through your skin. You can only watch in horror and intrigue as it starts piecing you back together, your bones snapping back into place, the cuts and blood moulding together like nothing ever happened.

you are ours

At the first flinch of your fingers, you scramble to your feet, desperately brushing the dust away from your body. The dust simply followed, the same words repeated over and over and over. You slam your hands over your ears when it gets louder, stumbling towards the trees behind you.

You could have escaped if it weren’t for the pain returning to your body. You suddenly felt it all, the crash of the fall, the snap of your bones, like a delayed effect. You could have screamed from it all. Maybe you did.

You couldn’t recall anything after that.

It was an uncomfortable sting to your cheek that brought you back to reality.

Words were muffled with the ringing of your ears, your breaths hissing through the grit of your teeth. Your whole body ached with the memory of the fall, and your mind swarmed with questions.

“Major, she’s awake.” 

Red flashing lights fell in tune with your pounding headache, tired eyes training as the soldier stood near the door. Great, you think, I’m back here again.

Except, this wasn’t the police station, not in the Upside Down. The blood in your veins ran cold.

“Miss Mayfield. What a shock it was to find you down here.”

Dr Kay’s hoarse voice broke through the room. You tilt your head to find it, but she was hidden in the darker corner of the room, arms crossed, face featureless in the shadow.

You squirm in your seat, sharp metal biting into your wrists, ankles tied tightly to the legs of the chair. The military found you down here, outside the Lab. They found you, and you led them straight to your friends- Your friends.

“Who else is down here with you?”

The question sparked hope. They hadn’t found them.

“Just me.” You reply, mouth dry. A sudden dread arose. You didn’t even know if your friends were still alive.

“Strange.” A small movement of her hand sent two men over to you. One stood behind, and the other in front, neither speaking or moving. You swallow nothing. “We had a quick visit from Eleven, and the man currently keeping her hostage.”

You bite your tongue. Hostage, right.

“So, I should believe that you and her were on the other side at the same time for… no reason?”

You try to shrug, wincing. “What a coincidence.”

Kay merely tilts her head, and a gloved fist flies at your jaw. The force splits your lip, making you cry out with the shock of it. The soldier in front of you flexes his fingers, and the one behind grabs your head to keep you upright.

“We’ve been kind thus far, Miss Mayfield.” Kay responds from her corner, unmoving. “But after the breach tonight, I’m losing my patience. Don’t make this harder for yourself.”

“I didn’t come with her.” You spit the blood from your mouth, licking your lips and wincing at the metallic taste on your tongue. “I already told you, I came here by myself.”

“And why would you do that?”

Dr Kay moves from the shadows and leans over to face you now. In the blinking red lights, you can just make out the bruise forming on her cheek, a tear in her lip she wore with a scowl. Judging by the rage of defeat on her features, you assumed El and Hopper had done a number on their operation, and the thought made you want to smile despite it all.

“I wanted answers.” You state, your fingers intertwining, trying to find a way to stay calm.

“Hm.” She studies you, standing straight. “Answers.”

Kay gestures to the soldiers beside you, and they move without hesitation. You brace for the impact, stomach tensing in anticipation. You start to frown when you feel the rope being pulled loose from your ankles, a firm hand on your shoulder.

“Follow me.”

You’re pulled to your feet without a choice, almost stumbling when your legs weren’t sturdy enough to stand by their own. One of the soldiers pushes you through the hallways of the base, the red lights still blinding you with their glare. You caught sight of a room, the contents thrown about, bullet holes denting the surfaces, marking the aftermath of a fight.

You wished you had paid more attention to everything in here, but your head was throbbing, and your chest was filled with fear. You weren’t sure you were making it out of this one. A final door opens and you’re manhandled inside, discarded beside Dr Kay.

There was no point in running. Two men were at the door, another two already in the room, standing beside a set of shutters.

Kay turns to you with a nod. “I’m feeling extra generous today, Miss Mayfield. I’m willing to make a deal.”

“Let me guess, I give you Eleven and you won’t leave my sister to die.” You say, already prepared for the threats, but Kay raises her eyebrows.

“You don’t know.”

“Know what?”

“Max Mayfield is awake.”

Your heart skips. “...What?”

“Or, at least, that’s what I’ve been told.” Kay shrugs, nodding to one of her men by the door. He glances at you and leaves the room, shutting the door. “She wasn’t in her hospital bed when the nurses last checked. Nasty incident there.”

You’re unsure how to feel. Relieved, worried, or outright terrified. What if she wasn’t alive?

You would have felt it if she died. Regardless of your connection to the Mind Flayer, to Vecna, you would have felt a part of you die just like you did in that attic. That wasn’t supernatural, it was sisterhood. A pure bond formed at her birth.

“The deal I want to make is one I know you won’t refuse.” Kay smiles then, but it never reaches her eyes. It didn’t seem malicious, either. More… knowing.

You feel the goosebumps already start to rise, a nervous breath shuddering through your lungs, “What makes you say that?”

“Because it’s everything you’ve wanted.”

She presses a button on the wall behind her, and the shutters in front of you slowly rise. You are almost blinded by the pale white of the room on the other side of the window slowly revealing itself to you. From what you could gather, this is where they conducted experiments. Inside, there were various tools on metal tables, and a long chair with straps to hold down the victim of their choice.

No one was in the room yet, and your heart began to hammer against your chest.

“Show her.” Kay says to the officer beside her. He nods, speaking something into his radio.

A door from the other side opens, and a body is thrown in. They look weak, dishevelled from the manhandling, their long locks covering their eyes. You didn’t need to see their face. The six bats inked into their forearm were never easy to forget.

Tears stream down your face as Kay gives you a knowing smirk.

“Give me Eleven. And I’ll give you Eddie Munson.”

to be continued...

@kthomps914 @sadbitchfangirl @d4ily-s-nsh1ne @jujujujululu

And then you feel your whole body suddenly ache, making you groan.

“Ow.” You say, opening your eyes to find Jonathan staring down at you with a sigh.

“How are you feeling?” He asks, eyes flickering to something you can’t see yet.

“Like I just got into a car crash.” You say with a hint of a smile, making him chuckle. He offers you a hand, and you gladly take it, letting him pull you to your feet.

You take a deep breath, looking around you.

Dustin was hazardously pacing with a radio in hand in front of the Roane Cemetery church, calling out to Hopper and El, waiting for a response. Nancy stood not too far from him, eyes scanning the area around you, gun ready in her grip.

Jonathan was beside you, clearly in charge of waking you up after being pulled from the car. Considering where you were sitting, you ended up pretty lucky. You vaguely remember crashing, your head whipping to the side. You must have collided with the car seat, knocking you out on impact. The tight strain in your neck seems to agree, and you frown, eyes trailing across the dirt.

Where was…

Steve stood near his car, arms folded, hair messy. He frowns at Dustin, nervously tapping his hand against his forearm the longer it takes to hear a response. The timid way he’s biting his lip makes you frown, and you start walking over.

When your footsteps echo to him, he turns his head, and you watch the way his scared eyes soften at you.

“Hey.” He visibly relaxes, unfolding his arm as his eyes scan you, looking for any additional wounds. He moves a little closer, like he’s afraid you’re gonna fall over and he’ll need to catch you. “You okay?”

You simply nod, smiling. “Anyone make a plan while I was out?”

“Dustin’s trying to reach El and Hopper.” Steve explains, folding his arms again once he was sure you were steady enough to stand by yourself. 

“So… no plan.” You sigh, looking up at the massive wall. “Holy shit.”

You hadn’t been able to make out what it was through the windshield of Steve’s car, and even now you’re not sure you could fully describe it.

The wall was towering over you, massive vines pasted and woven together as an impenetrable fortress. You could see strange mounds on it that pulsed, reminding you that everything here was alive. It was like the thick barricade was made of flesh, making you feel queasy.

“That’s disgusting.” You comment, and Steve follows your eyes, grimacing.

“I’ve been trying not to think too hard about it.”

You see his eyeline trail over to his car, face scrunching with regret.

“I’m not sure your insurance is gonna cover that.” You wince and Steve rolls his eyes with a smile.

“You always know what to say.”

“It’s a gift.”

“You, um… you look better.” He says, turning away from the horrific state his beamer was in. “Not that you looked bad. Like, not in that way, but you were- yeah, you seem… healthier.”

Healthier. That was one way to put it. A few minutes ago, you were dying, and then Steve drove through the gate and now you were…

“Steve.” You start to frown, “Did you drive us in here to just track the Demo?”

A light glints in his eyes, face falling into recognition of his actions, looking somewhat pleased with himself. You didn't have to say it out loud. He remembered your conversation, the way you told him your heart strengthened the closer you were to the Mind Flayer. You just never expected him to drive onto its home turf to find out if that was true.

“I didn’t know if it would work.” He says softly, smiling. “Looks like my theory was right.”

“Holy shit!” Dustin jumps and you all snap your head to him, “Okay. They’re alive!”

“El!” Nancy runs up to him with Jonathan, “Ask him about El.”

“Uh, El. El. Is El with you? Over.”

“Yes, I’m here. Over.” El’s voice is a welcome addition, making you smile. Then your heart ached for her; how long had it been since you’ve seen her?

“Okay. Yay, terrific. I don’t know what you’re doing right now, or if you’re caught up in something important, but-”

“Meet us!” Nancy interjects as Dustin falls off into a ramble.

“Yeah, meet us at Roane Cemetery church, please.”

“Roane Cemetery. How the hell are you contacting us from there?”

“Right. You don’t know.” Dustin sighs, sharing a look with you when you finally walk over with Steve. “We’re in the Upside Down.”

“What?”

“Who’s we?” El asks this time.

“Me, Steve, Y/n, Nancy, Jonathan-”

“Y/n?”

Your friends look up at you, suspicious of the way Hopper said your name in confusion, like he would have never expected you to be here. You gulp, shrugging with them, as if you didn’t know.

“Doesn’t matter. Long story short, we’re here to track a Demogorgon using our telemetry tracker, only to then hit a wall. Literally. Now, Steve’s beamer is stuck, so we need El to come and pry it loose using her powers so we can resume the search which will, in theory, lead us to Holly.” Dustin takes a deep breath, and your eyebrows raise with how well he explained everything. “Does any of this make sense? Do you need additional details? Questions? Concerns? Over.”

“You hit a wall?” Hopper repeats, a sense of knowing behind his voice. “What kind of wall, exactly?”

You all instinctively look up at it, your stomach churning.

“Uh… it’s a bit… hard to describe.” Dustin scrunches up his face, handing you the radio when he notices your hand stretched out to him.

“Like a living, breathing, wall of nightmares.” You offer, and Dustin nods in approval.

“We hit the same thing, but not at the cemetery. We hit it a quarter mile southeast of the old Hagen Bridge.”

You frown, looking at Nancy. “That’s the opposite side of town.”

“Fascinating.” Dustin breathes out, hands on his hips.

“We don’t know what it is, but we think Holly’s behind it.” Hopper says, voice low. “Don’t bother trying to break through. You can’t. We’re working on a solution.”

“What kind of solution?” You ask. There’s nothing but static. “Hopper? Where the hell are you guys?”

“Listen, we gotta keep the airwaves clear, alright? We’ll come get you. Just stay put.” Hopper responds, but he doesn’t sign off just yet. “I mean it, Y/n. Stay there.”

Everyone’s eyes are on you, your grip on the radio harder than it should be.

“Copy that.” You say, shoving the radio back into Dustin’s hands before you stalk off into the church.

You knew exactly where Hopper and El were.

The military had set up a base of operations both on the surface and in the Upside Down. With each ‘Burn’, they sent down more supplies, more men, more firepower. You knew if they were keeping secrets, they would hide them where no one could dare to find them.

You told Hopper your theory. That Vecna must be behind closed walls, and that’s why no one has heard anything from him for over a year. And then you did something undeniably stupid; you told him about Eddie.

You showed him everything you were learning, the high possibility of Sullivan’s involvement with the military takeover as well as your suspicions of the fake dead body they supposedly ‘found’ in the woods. You backed everything up with evidence, nothing half-baked, and yet… it wasn’t enough.

Hopper told you to move on. Simple as that. Said that looking for Eddie would only put your life in danger and, eventually, drag all of your friends down with you. His voice hadn’t been mean, no harsh inflection to the words he spoke, but you felt somewhat betrayed. 

And ultimately, you hadn’t listened. You got caught trying to find Eddie, threatened by the government to keep your nose out of their business, and yet, you still didn’t let up. Then, after your conversation with Dr Kay to keep Max in the hospital, you started being watched, your heart condition came into play, and any help you could have been was shredded with the hope you had of finding out the truth.

So, Hopper gave you a simple request.

“You wanna tell us why Hop doesn’t want you down here?”

It was Dustin’s voice that found you, making you recoil in surprise.

“You wanna tone down the attitude, maybe?” You bite back, and he slumps his shoulders.

The other three walk in with him, keeping quiet as they watch the both of you… argue? That part was unclear, especially since neither of you had argued before.

“I could always give it a guess, but I know you’re the kind of person who owns up to her mistakes.” Dustin tries again, voice a little lighter but his words were heavy.

“My mistakes?” You frown, staring at him incredulously.

You can hear Steve’s low whistle, and Dustin sends him an agitated look.

“If you must know…” You direct your words at the younger boy, but find yourself glancing at your friends all the same. “Hopper asked me to stay away from the crawls.”

“What?” Nancy’s voice cuts in this time, her body moving forward before she could stop herself.

“I, uh, I got into some trouble with the military. Dr Kay, specifically, the one in charge.” You try to explain, fully aware that Dustin was staring at you with such curiosity it made your chest burn with guilt. He couldn’t know the real reason. “I did a lot of things that would jeopardise everything. Mistakes. It… it would put everyone in danger. El, especially.”

“So he booted you off the missions?” Nancy shakes her head. “El was never with us anyway, he wouldn’t-”

“It wasn’t entirely his decision.” You offer a sad smile at her. “I agreed. At least until the military backed off a little. And it made the most sense, health and all.”

Nancy nods at this, but her expression remains conflicted, the same look she would get any time Hopper introduced a plan she really didn’t like.

“Does that answer your question?” You ask Dustin, but there wasn’t any heat behind your question.

“Yes. Thanks.” He mumbles something about checking the telemetry tag and disappears out the doors, head low. He knew you were keeping something from him, you just hoped he’d reign in his smart brain just this once.

Jonathan pats your shoulder as he passes by, taking a seat by an altar. Steve does the same, almost like he had watched the other boy’s actions and decided he didn’t want to be left behind. He still smiles at you, sliding into a pew and tapping the wood beside him, expecting you to follow.

You’ve settled into the uncomfortable seat when Nancy suddenly scoffs into the air, throwing her hands up.

“Working on a solution?” Nancy repeats Hopper’s words into the echo of the old church, her desperation twisting the guilt deeper and deeper into your wounds. “I mean, if Hopper has a solution to get through this and get to Holly, he should… he should share it with us! I don’t care if he’s older, he’s not my dad, he can’t just tell us what we can and can’t do.”

You bite your lip, wondering if Hopper would be sharing if you weren’t with them. Nancy catches your eye, a pained look resting behind her own. She wanted you on those crawls, working together, just like you always used to do.

“I just say we ignore the old man.” Steve says and you frown. “We keep moving, look for a door or something.”

Jonathan scrunches his face. “Yeah, and, uh, just curious. This door of yours, it’s soft like a Peanut Butter Bopper?”

You send him an unamused look.

“You got something to say, Byers, why don’t you just come out and say it, man?” Steve retaliates and you hold back the groan threatening to fill the room.

“I’m just saying that maybe you shouldn’t be making the calls from now on.” Jonathan shrugs.

“How the hell was I meant to know there’d be a giant fleshy wall in our way?!” Steve leans forward, brows furrowed.

“You were meant to know that you weren’t just putting your life at risk out there!”

“Sorry you couldn’t keep up, Byers, I’ll be sure to let you know my every move whenever you wanna feel more like a man-”

“Guys, shut up!” You finally stand up, frowning at them both. They snap their mouths shut, looking guilty. “Can you put your petty feud behind you for just one minute?”

“You were dying.” Jonathan says, and Steve’s jaw tightens. “You needed a hospital, not an interdimensional hellscape with only the theory of helping you.”

“Well, it helped, didn’t it?” Steve points out, voice sharp, arms folded in self-restraint.

Jonathan narrows his eyes, something unspoken passing between them like a reason for their hatred to one another. You always assumed it to be from their long-lasting feud over a girl, but you see now that it’s much more than that. And despite how much they clearly wanted to rip each other's throats out, they weren’t spilling a single detail about the secret keeping them divided.

“Most help you’ve been in months.” Jonathan scoffs, his eyes darting to your general direction.

And suddenly Steve is on his feet, prepared for a fight. Jonathan must have seen it coming because his fists are balled up at his sides, shoulders squared.

You and Nancy immediately step between them.

“What the hell is wrong with you two?” Nancy hisses, also noticing the apparent secret.

“Nance-” Jonathan deflates at her angry tone, and she holds her hand up.

“It wasn’t just his call. It was mine because it’s my sister.” She says, eyes unwavering from him. “Now we’re on the same side as her, and that decision clearly saved Y/n’s life. And… I agree with Steve, okay? We can’t just sit here. I don’t know about a door, but this wall can’t go on forever, there has to be a way around it.”

The four of you stand there for a moment, all heated with fury in various ways. Steve and Jonathan seemed to share their fury, aimed like daggers at one another. Nancy’s rage boiled from the loss of her sister, her family, her incessant need to fix everything broken. And you were mostly angry at yourself, digging a deeper and deeper pit into the uselessness you feel every time you prove how much worse you make every situation.

Dustin burst in a few seconds later, panting, bearing horrible news; the wall was endless, and it was a cage.

It circled around the Upside Down, around Hawkins, and it was impenetrable. It made you realise how little you managed to explore the Upside Down, how terrified you’ve been to ever do so. It figures it didn’t go on into other towns, but why was it here?

Dustin had spread a map out in front of you, showing the circle from an aerial view. He marked where the centre of everything is, a chill running down your spine.

“Hawkins Lab.” You had said aloud. Of course it was Hawkins Lab.

And it was the only lead you had.

The walk wasn’t long, but it was excruciatingly awkward.

Nancy and Dustin walked ahead, her shotgun aimed at the shadows with the expectation of unexpected visitors. Steve was just behind them, a hand shoved in his jacket pocket while the other sported a flashlight, much like the one you held. Jonathan was slumping his shoulders beside you, occasionally redirecting his gaze at Nancy. No one was speaking to each other.

After a while, you notice Jonathan slow his footsteps down, and you do the same.

“I’m messing it all up.” He says quietly, low enough not to alert your friends up ahead as you both steadily moved along at a much slower pace.

“With Nancy?” You ask, hand gripping your flashlight harder.

“I… I don’t know what I’m doing wrong anymore.” He sighs, his hand diving into his pocket, holding whatever was inside. “It’s like everything I do to try and fix it makes it so much worse.”

You just nod in recognition, eyes trained to the floor. Yep, been there.

“She’s gonna break up with me.”

You gently rest your free hand on his shoulder, assessing the hard look in his eye. It wasn’t one you saw very often, but it was pretty clear what he was thinking. “Jon…”

“I have a plan.” He says, barely registering you.

“No, you don’t.”

He frowns at you finally, taken aback. “How would-”

“I know what’s in the Coltrane tape.” You say, and he visibly tenses like a deer caught in headlights. You sigh. “You’ll find it engaging? I love Murray, but the guy doesn’t exactly try to be inconspicuous.”

“Yeah. Yeah, you’re not wrong.” He breathes out a nervous laugh, eyes flickering to Nancy’s frame up ahead, silently praying she hasn’t heard any of this.

“I won’t say anything.” You promise, “I haven’t said anything.”

“You don’t think it’s a good idea, though.” He frowns softly, absentmindedly rubbing his thumb along the tape in his jacket pocket.

“Jon, listen to me.” You stop him then, turning him to face you, lips thin. “Putting a ring on her finger won’t solve anything. You and I both know that’s not what Nance wants.”

“What else am I supposed to do?” He whispers, eyes pooling with the kind of grief only love can bring.

“Talk to her.” You say, rubbing his arm. “Just one conversation, see where you both stand. And… then, you wait.”

Jonathan nods, reaching his other hand up to grab onto yours in silent gratitude.

You tilt your head to the path ahead, ready to catch up with the others.

find them

Jonathan feels the way your hand clenches, eyes widening when he sees the fear flash across your features.

“What’s wrong?”

now 

Goosebumps are trailing paths along your skin, buried beneath the layers of clothes meant to keep you warm. Something dangerous was coming.

“We have to hide.” Is all you say as you grab Jonathan’s hand and pull him with you, running to your friends.

Your rushed footsteps must have been loud because the three of them turned around, equally confused at the sight.

“We need to hide, now!”

You didn’t give them time to respond. You dropped Jonathan’s hand and instead grabbed onto Dustin, steering him in the direction of the forest lining the road you walked along. You could feel whatever it was getting closer, holding your breath as you ran as far out as you could until you found a cluster of trees to duck behind.

Nobody spoke or questioned your sudden flight response. They all crouched down beside you, controlling their breaths, waiting.

A roar rang out. Then another. Then another, and another, and another.

The dirt rumbles beneath your feet, your friend’s eyes widening at the sensation. Then, just through the trees, you watch loud flashes of grey leap out of the shadows, all heading in the same direction. 

Demogorgons. A herd of them, being summoned by the Mind Flayer, the dust somehow trying to summon you. You feel your bones ache the longer you resist the urge to follow, biting your lip.

“Holy shit.” Dustin breathes out beside you, his hands still gripped onto your arms as he watches the last demogorgon disappear into the night, seemingly in the opposite direction to you.

Everyone stays silent for a while, listening out for any other predators. You feel Steve’s hand on your back, his head dipping to find your eyes in the dark.

“I think you just saved our lives, Mayfield.”

Chapter Seven: The Death Star ->

@kthomps914 @sadbitchfangirl @d4ily-s-nsh1ne @jujujujululu

Dustin clicks off the radio after checking in with Lucas and the others currently residing in the WSQK van behind you, sighing into his seat.

“I don’t think I like this idea.” You voice from the backseat, your foot nervously tapping on the floor of the car as your eyes stay glued to the Turnbow house. What if the demogorgon shows up early? Now you’ve lost an entire family, and Erica. How would you even explain that to her parents? How would Lucas-

A hand suddenly rests on your knee, stilling your movement. You look up to see Steve’s eyes already on you, a reassuring smile on his face.

“Hey, it’s gonna be okay.” He says, tilting his head. “We’ve got it all planned out. If anything goes wrong, we’re ready for it.”

You just nod, a small smile sent back his way as he twists himself back to face the front.

“You guys are sickening.” Dustin retorts, flashing a smile your way and a glare to Steve.

“Is there anything I can do that won’t immediately make you hostile?” Steve shoots him a look. Dustin just shrugs.

“Breathe.” He replies, scrunching his face. “Actually, no, scratch that, lately you’ve been sounding like you’re a cross between Darth Vader and a pug. So, uh, nothing.”

Steve just exhales sharply through his nose in annoyance.

“Yeah, like that.”

“Okay, you little-”

“So, um.” You raise your voice a little, scooting forward so you are poking your head between the seats. “When I agreed to ride with you guys, there was a small, maybe invisible, implication that you wouldn’t be bickering like an old married couple the entire time.”

“He started it.” Steve huffs, and you could almost laugh at how childish it looked.

Dustin opens his mouth, and you promptly lean over and shut it back up.

“And I’m ending it.” You narrow your eyes at them both, and Dustin sinks back into his seat.

“I missed that.” Steve comments with a flicker of a smirk.

“Missed what?”

“How scary you can be.” He says, tilting his head back and you smile.

Dustin immediately starts retching and you flick your hand into his shoulder before a startling, high-pitched scream echoes out of the Turnbow house. For a moment, your heart jumps. The demogorgon. It’s killing them, it’s-

The front door opens and Erica stands with an unamused expression and a wave to signal the ‘all-clear’.

Steve stiffens with concern, Dustin’s eyes are wide, and you pinch the bridge of your nose.

“We’re going to hell.” You mutter, flopping back against the leather seats and groaning as everyone starts making their way into the house, leaving you behind.

You shift uncomfortably, adjusting your jacket for the millionth time today. That weighted pressure is consistently pressing against your chest, though whether it’s your heart or your anxiety, you’re not sure.

The road around you is quiet. A few whistles of the leaves drift in from the crack in the window, sometimes a soft chirp from a cricket. It’s meant to be peaceful, but you aren’t sure what peace even is anymore.

There’s a small yet painful jab to the left side of your chest, making you wince. You quietly hold your hand over it, closing your eyes and taking deep breaths, trying not to disturb the silence. 

find us

You shake your head, pretending like you could do anything to get the voice out of your head.

you are a part of us

join-

The persistent whispers dissipated with the opening of a car door. You blink your eyes open with a frown. How long have you been stuck like this?

“Jesus, you should hear him in there.” Steve settles in the driver’s seat, shutting the door beside him. “Make sure you don’t miss. Yeah, like Nance has ever missed a shot in the last five years, you know?”

He glances back at you, frowning. You look up to see he’s already spotted the way you’re clutching at your jacket, unsteady waves of breath leaving your mouth in haste.

“Is it happening again?” He panics, twisting in his seat to readily grab the wheel, like he’d just drive away from the mission and find you help. You grab his arm before anything happens, shaking your head.

“No, no. It’s not- I’m fine.” You blurt, wondering how the hell you’re gonna stop this man from worrying about you when he needs to stay focused. “I just… I just feel a little off sometimes, but it’s not serious, I promise.”

“It looks pretty serious, Y/n.”

“I…” You bite your lip, lowering your hand. “This happens a lot. Normally when I’m alone, but it- it doesn’t last very long. Or, I didn’t think it did.”

Steve frowns at you. “What-”

“Ever since the gates closed, I’ve felt weaker, like I’ve lost all my energy. It comes back to me sometimes, though. I’ve noticed it’s whenever a crawl happens, or recently when the demogorgon opened a gate. And I think it’s because of the Mind Flayer. But if I feel stronger, then I will inevitably start feeling like shit again when the gates close because I’m no longer connected to-”

“Sorry.” Steve holds a hand up, cutting you off, his mind barely keeping up. “I don’t- none of this is making sense.”

“I don’t know how to explain it.” You scrunch up your face, “It’s like, the closer I am to the Mind Flayer… the better I feel.”

“Because it makes you powerful?”

“It’s more than that.” You find his eyes. “It saved my life, Steve, back in that attic. It was the strongest I’ve ever felt. Without it… well, I guess I’d feel like I have been feeling for the last ten months.”

He nods along, his lip drawn between his teeth, like he was taking in your every word and trying to find a solution. “How are you feeling right now?”

You consider lying, but where would that get you? “Not, uh… not so great, to be honest.”

“Then we should…” 

The ideas fall with the realisation. You can’t go to the hospital. You certainly can’t go home. The only option was to leave you in the Squawk mission room, but both of you knew Steve would never leave you alone with the reminders of your health.

“I’ll be okay.” You say, leaning forward. That crease between his eyebrows starts forming again. “Steve. I’ll be okay, I promise. It’s just- you asked me to tell you if anything felt wrong with me.”

“And I’m glad you did.” He says quickly, reaching his hand out to you. “ But I don’t think I can do this knowing-”

The passenger side door opens and you both jump, feeling like you were caught despite nothing happening at all.

Dustin slides into his seat with hesitation, eyes narrowed.

“I’m going to pretend that I didn’t see anything for my own mental wellbeing.” He says, and you roll your eyes.

“We weren’t even-” Steve starts but Dustin holds his hand up.

“Excuse you, I’m pretending over here.”

Steve glares at the boy before turning his head away. “Fine. Everything good to go in there?”

“Yeah.” Dustin sighs, fiddling with the binoculars hanging from his neck. “Just gotta wait now.”

And wait you did. Your fingertips kept subconsciously tapping the fabric that rested just above your heart. Steve’s gaze was trained on the house for any sign of flickering lights, but he spared you a glance ever so often. You pretend not to notice. Dustin mostly rested his eyes, reminding you of how long it’s been since you’ve really slept.

After a long time of hearing nothing but everyone’s breaths, Dustin clears his throat.

“This is gonna work.” Dustin mumbles, mostly in reassurance to himself.

“Totally.” You respond anyway, nervously pulling at the frays of your denim jacket.

“It better work.” Steve huffs. “It’s not like we’re conspicuous or anything.”

All of your eyes trail up to the massive antenna attached to the roof of Steve’s car. A nervous gulp slid down your throat.

“You, uh… think the military are watching right now?” You ask no one in particular.

“Probably.” Dustin snorts. Steve jabs his elbow into the boy’s side. Dustin frowns at the sudden blunt force to his arm before his face drops with realisation. “I mean, no. They’re too busy with the Upside Down stuff. We’re fine. Totally.”

You cock a brow as high as the octave in Dustin’s voice. “Yeah, I feel so reassured.”

“They’re not finding us.” Steve says, the words laced with such determination that you knew they were final. “Besides, they have no reason to even want to track us right now.”

“Right.” You nod, biting the inside of your cheek.

“I want Y/n Mayfield brought to me alive.”

No reason at all.

If anyone was going to question the distant look in your eye, it was interrupted by Robin’s voice blaring through the radio speaker.

“Hey. Talk to me, guys. How’s it looking out there?”

“It’s boring.” Steve replies, “How are the Turnbows holding up?”

“Uh.. they’re still in their ‘food comas’. But I swear to god, this Demo better show. If we took out an entire family for nothing, my conscience will never recover.”

“It will. Just make sure you let us know as soon as it does. Or if Will starts getting all tingly or whatever.” Steve answers.

“Tingly?” You frown. Steve shrugs.

“I don’t know. What would you call it?”

“He’s not Spiderman.” You laugh, and Dustin whistles quietly.

“That would be cool, though.” The younger boy sighs, head lolling against the window. 

“And if it doesn’t show? I’ll be no good in prison, Harrington, they’ll shank me to death as soon as I open my mouth.”

You snort then, resting against the side of Steve’s seat.

“I wouldn’t worry about that, Robs, I know a lawyer.” Steve says, making you smirk in confusion. “My uncle is a criminal defence attorney.”

“So, like, what kind of criminals does your uncle defend exactly? Are they, like, white-collar criminals? Because that does seem like a Harrington thing to do, you know, defend rich douchebags.”

Steve huffs out a laugh. “You’re not wrong. I don’t really have an answer though, it’s not like I ever see my family…”

When his voice trails off, you immediately know why. You felt it as soon as it happened.

“Robs… we’ve got company.” Steve finally says, eyes trained to the road ahead.

The lights that lined the streets start flickering, each taking a turn to blink one after another. Your mouth feels dry, goosebumps lining your skin. And your heart… it felt tight.

“Moving south down Arlington, T-minus 30 seconds.” Dustin says, and Steve repeats it into the radio.

Your hands feel clammy. Was that normal?

Everyone is checking in with each other over the radios, and you’re sitting in the back of a car that’s about to track a 10 foot monster feeling like your whole body is on fire and numb all at the same time.

“It’s inside.” Dustin says, but you’re shifting uncomfortably, a strange beacon echoing in your head.

join us

follow

The Mind Flayer kept summoning you, your legs already poised and pointed to the exit. You notice it early, trying to pull away from the lack of control you were currently facing. But with every effort to stop your body mindlessly trailing after the gate the demogorgon created, your heart starts hammering harder in your chest.

The horrific sound of gunfire echoes out, and you have to close your eyes to drown out the horrific thoughts attempting to infiltrate you.

get out the car, and leave them behind

you are needed

you are ours

“Y/n.”

You snap your head up to Dustin, watching his face fall as he takes in your dischevelled appearance. You clutched your chest like it was the only thing keeping you alive.

“Uh, Steve-”

“Dustin, how close is it?” Steve’s far too immersed in the current mission to notice anything other than the chaotic house across the street, jaw set with the expectation of tracking the monster. “Dustin, how close?!”

You look at the signal tracker, your hands gripping dangerously into the headrest of Dustin’s seat.

“Shit!”

Everything in Steve’s car starts flickering then, suddenly making everything far too real.

It was right beneath you. Or maybe…

Something slams against the passenger side window and you all cry out.

Nancy and Jonathan peer in, eyes wild.

“Jesus Christ!” Steve yells, accidentally hitting the steering wheel and cursing under his breath.

He finally looks back then, expecting to share in the relieved mess of not being attacked by a vicious demogorgon. Nancy and Jonathan are sliding into the car, one on either side of you, begging to know if Dustin is successfully tracking it.

Steve watches how your hands start to shake. It wasn’t from the short-lived fear of the jump-scare your friends accidentally created. He’d seen it before. That glassy look in your eye, the way your chest rises and falls far too quickly. How hard you try to pretend like everything’s fine.

It was happening again.

“I repeat, trackers in pursuit!” Dustin yells out, snapping Steve back to the wheel. “Hit it!”

The engine purrs to life and Steve slams his foot on the gas, jolting the car forward and racing off down the road.

Nancy grips onto the side, her head turning to you and widening her eyes.

“Y/n.” She says, and you look over, frowning at the way she looked at you. “Your nose.”

Your fingertips immediately swipe at your upper lip just as Steve wings a sharp right. You stare back down at the blood coating your skin, stilling. That… that’s never happened before.

There wasn’t any time for reassurance to your friends as the car bursts through garden fences, the occasional high-pitched roar of Dustin’s directions filling the air as the three of you in the back hold onto each other for dear life.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry!” Steve winces with every fence that shatters around the bonnet, barely keeping control.

“You’re gonna crash!” Dustin yells out, and Steve risks a bewildered look his way.

“You said right!”

“Jesus Christ!” Jonathan cries out, squeezing his eyes shut with another explosion of wooden panels.

“Wait, wait, stop right now!”

Steve does his best to brake, throwing you all forward in the process. Your seatbelt barely catches you, so Jonathan throws his arm around you to pull you back before you propel into the front seat.

“Thanks.” You breathlessly say, wincing in pain with another jolt to your chest. Jonathan shares a look with Nancy, who shakes her head knowingly.

“God dammit, Henderson, what are we doing?!” Steve pants, and Dustin hurriedly adjusts the satellite.

“I lost the signal!” Dustin mumbles a string of swear words, and you bite your bottom lip in anticipation. You can’t have just kidnapped a whole family for nothing. “Got it! It’s heading southeast now!”

Steve turns the car back around, driving back through the holes he created in the fences and returning to the road.

“That was fun.” Jonathan mumbles sarcastically, eyeing you with concern. “Are you okay?”

“Hm.” You can barely speak now, and Jonathan taps his hand aggressively against the back of Steve’s chair.

“What?!” Steve shouts over his shoulder, turning left at Dustin’s instruction while desperately trying not to let up on the speed. If he stopped now, he’d lose the demogorgon.

“Something’s wrong with Y/n!”

Steve’s eyes flash to the rearview mirror, heart sinking with the sight of you. Your head is lolled against Nancy’s shoulder, the girl wrapping her arm around you while keeping her fingertips pressed to your pulse. Blood had been trickling from your right nostril, staining your lips.

You’ve never been this bad before.

“Shit!” Steve cries out, foot to the floor, racing against time.

“Oh no.” Dustin’s face drops.

“What?!”

“It’s heading to the barn!” Dustin relays, and everyone goes quiet.

“How far?” Steve asks, hoping they can make it in time. When Dustin doesn’t answer, he makes his voice louder. “How far, Henderson?!”

“It’s already there.”

Your voice is merely a whisper, but it chills the entire exterior of the car all the same.

If it was even possible at the point, Steve speeds up, eyes set on the flickering lights he can spot in the distance. There was a noticeable figure in front, being driven out by an axe-wielding mother. Steve narrows his eyes.

“What’s the plan, Steve?” Jonathan asks, and for once it wasn’t demeaning. He was far too terrified for the answer.

“I don’t think you wanna know.” Steve responds, and Jonathan leans back in his seat, looking at Nancy.

“Hold on.”

The demogorgon is stumbling away from the barn, snarling at Joyce. She’s relentless, eyes wild with fury. She keeps swinging the axe at it, barely nicking the skin.

So, Steve does the only thing he can, and drives straight into it.

The monster shrieks, body slamming over the roof of the car, and Nancy turns her head beside you, watching the creature roll into the dirt. It wasn’t dead. Of course it wasn’t.

Steve spins the car back around to face it, all of your eyes set on the demogorgon. It stood back up, panting, snarling. You lift your head to watch as it takes a step forward, something like a threat.

you should be dead

we saved you

The voice feels cold against your skull, making you shiver. The pain was twisting a knife into your chest now, body shaking with fear. Before now, the voice had been somewhat soothing, trying to lure you towards it, back to the Mind Flayer.

Now, it’s become sinister. It was deliberately hurting you, angry at your constant denial of its requests.

If you didn’t listen now, it was going to kill you.

The demogorgon roars, and turns away. It leaps over to one of the grain bins, ripping open a gate and pushing itself through.

“It’s flipped! And it’s headed back towards us!” Dustin confirms.

Steve grips the wheel, but he doesn’t move.

“What are you doing, man, we have to turn around!” Jonathan leans forward, frowning when Steve just shakes his head.

He looks over his shoulder at you, a look in your eye that screamed everything he needed to know. You were dying, and chasing this monster wasn’t going to heal you.

“I don’t know how to explain it.” You scrunch up your face, “It’s like, the closer I am to the Mind Flayer… the better I feel.”

That sounded like a plan.

“Gates are kinda like Peanut Butter Boppers, right?” Steve suddenly asks, earning himself some confused looks. “The outside is, like, crunchy and tough. But then you bite down on it, it gives way to a gooey, creamy core.”

Jonathan cries out. “Dude, what the hell are you talking about?!”

“Y/n, open your eyes.” Nancy says, her hand gently tapping against your cheek. You’re struggling to stay awake, gasping for shallow breaths.

“If I drive fast enough, the beamer can punch a hole into the gate, and then we can track the Demo on its home turf in the Upside Down!” Steve explains, eyes constantly flickering back towards you. You were barely hanging on. “Then we follow it back home.”

Jonathan immediately starts arguing, and Nancy frowns as she holds you against her.

“What about Y/n?” She looks at the boy in the driver’s seat with a fearful set of tears in her eyes.

“She needs to be down there.” He says, watching her frown back at him. “Seriously, Nance. I can’t explain it, I don’t even know if it will work, but you have to trust me.”

“Trust?” Jonathan looks between them both in panic. “We won’t be able to do anything if we crash!”

“We won’t crash!”

“It’s almost gone!”

Nancy looks at the gate, ignoring the chaos of men’s voices floating around her, hands tightened around your shoulder. She truly didn’t see another option.

“Do it.” She says, and Jonathan stares at her like she’s crazy.

Nancy doesn’t need to repeat herself. Steve slams his foot back on the gas and aims for the grain silo, Dustin and Jonathan mumbling out strings of curses and objections.

You try to sit up, but Nancy holds you back. You must have drifted out of the conversation because all of a sudden you’re watching the crimson gate get closer and closer, raising goosebumps on your skin. Jonathan is gripping onto the seat in front of him for dear life, Dustin is screaming, and Nancy shares a determined exposition with Steve as he heads straight for the gate to hell.

None of you are sure if he’s gonna make it. You’re all hoping, at least. But you know Steve. You’d trust him with your life, much like you are now.

The car slides through the glowing membrane of the gate, everyone screaming out in both fear and commitment. You watch the world bleed around you, and you feel the soul-crushing weight on your chest slowly start to lift.

Any pain you had… breaking through the seal to the Upside Down changed everything.

“We got you, you son of a bitch!” Dustin cries out with glee, cheers and celebration coming from everyone in the car as Steve grins and navigates through the flipped version of your home.

“How do you feel?” Nancy asks you quietly while Dustin directs Steve’s driving once again. Her hand squeezes yours and you give a smile.

“Better.” You say, a soft frown in recognition of how crazy all of this was. Just moments ago, you felt like you were dying, and now it was like nothing had happened at all.

“Turn left, cemetery!”

Steve pulls out of the road and wings to the left. You feel Nancy tense.

“Roane Cemetery?” She speaks up, frowning. “That’s almost at the county line.”

“Doesn’t this thing ever get tired?” Jonathan groans.

“Uh, unfortunately, it looks like the opposite.” Dustin shares with a shaky inflection in his voice. “I think he’s speeding up.”

“Can this thing go any faster?” Nancy stresses and Steve tilts his head.

“Let’s see.”

The tires screech across the ground, engine revving, making you far more nervous than you needed to be. The last time you were down here, you found it nearly impossible to get around without alerting some predacious creature to your whereabouts.

There was no chance in hell Vecna didn’t know you were here.

Steve and Dustin start arguing in the front as you cautiously peer out of the windows, a small migraine sitting between your eyebrows. You weren’t sure how, but you could sense something was off.

You redirect your attention to the front, face falling.

“Steve.” You try, but he’s in a useless heated debate on the importance of Dustin doing his job properly.

It gets attention from Nancy and Jonathan, though, both eyeing the windshield.

“What is that?” Jonathan asks, and you shake your head.

“Not good.” You lean forward now, “Steve, you have to stop!”

He barely notices you, not even looking at the road.

“Steve, slow down!” Nancy tries to no avail. 

Soon enough, it’s a chorus of pleads from the three in the back and Steve finally takes notice, frowning.

But it’s too late. He turns and sees the massive wall, slamming on the brakes. You brace yourself as best as you can, but there isn’t much you can do in the middle seat.

The car jolts hazardously forward, and everything goes black.

“Eddie?!”

The screams are beginning to hurt your throat. You’ve been wandering around this void of light for what seems like hours, searching, hoping. You found him once. How come you can’t find him again?

Your shadow begins to form in front of you with a beam of reflection. You frown into the pool, barely able to see your own features. A shadow. You had a shadow in the dark?

A glance over your shoulder provides the answer. A bright beam of light is leading you back, guiding you away from this misery. For a moment, you were unsure if you should follow it.

That thought disappears with the sharp tug of claws wrapping around your arm.

You cry out, trying to pry what felt like dust from your body. Something starts whispering in your ear, but you aren’t focused. Everything is suddenly suffocating, the words incoherent, the claws strong.

“No!”

You shed yourself from the restraints and immediately start running to the light, feeling the dark closing in on you. It was trying to trap you, but you were much faster than that.

The exit feels warm against your skin as you find yourself closer. It’s far too bright, but soon you miss the blinding nature of it.

A silhouette appears in front of you, blocking the light from reaching you. You barely catch yourself, falling back, splashing into the ground as droplets of water coat your skin.

The figure looks down at you, tilting their head. Their hands are clasped tightly together, a knowing smile plastered on their faceless features.

“You aren’t meant to be here.”

Chapter Six: Stranded ->

@kthomps914 @sadbitchfangirl @d4ily-s-nsh1ne @jujujujululu

You watch as she slams the door shut, Mike and Lucas following behind. She looks utterly distraught, hand twisting her sweater. Jonathan meets her half way, letting her crumble into him.

There’s a sour taste in your mouth when you notice her hands shake as she grips onto her boyfriend. It’s downright bitter when Mike pretends like his eyes aren’t completely glazed over with grief.

You were meant to save them. The Wheelers. And you failed.

“You okay?” Steve whispers gently beside you, arm brushing against yours. You avoid his eyes, afraid he’d see what you were thinking if he caught a glance of your face.

“Better than most.” You reply softly, nodding at the two boys approaching you.

“Holy shit.” Mike says when he notices Dustin’s beaten face.

“Yep. Bike crash.” Dustin lies, squinting against the sun. “Flew headfirst into a light post.”

You can feel Steve tense beside you. Sparing him a look, you carefully lock your finger around his, out of sight of everyone else. His eyebrows raise with shock, but he doesn’t step away.

“Look, I’m sorry about missing the crawl, about everything.”

“It’s not your fault.” Mike shakes his head profusely. “Don’t beat yourself up.”

“Looks like he already did.” Lucas comments with suspicion, and you couldn’t help the small snort that sounded into the morning air.

He instinctively smiles at you, looking over before something comes crashing over him. A realisation.

Before you could question the saddened look on his face, he walks over and hugs you fiercely.

“Hey, woah, you okay?” You laugh in surprise, holding him back. Then a wave of dread pangs in your chest. “Is Max okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, she’s… she’s the same. It’s just…” He nods, pulling away. “You.”

“Me?”

“You…” He takes a quick glance at everyone around you, scared to speak the next words, but releasing them with a sharp breath. “You died.”

Bile rises in your throat. Yeah, you died. Again. It didn’t get easier.

“Only for, like, a minute.” You try to ease, but he shakes his head.

“I-I went to your hospital room. You weren’t there, and I thought…”

Your stomach drops with a weight of guilt.

“I’m sorry.” You reach out, hand on his arm. “I- we had to get out of there fast. It’s a long story, but I should have reached out. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“You’re okay now, right?”

“Yeah.” You say, but it was far from the truth. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

The doors to the WSQK slammed open, a very stressed Robin Buckley stepping out into the sun with a determined gaze.

“Hey, this isn’t a social call, kiddos.” She gestures to everything wildly, nodding back at the building. “Let’s go.”

Mike pats you on the shoulder in recognition as he steams past Robin into the building, presumably to find Will. Robin nods at everyone as they pass her, leant against the doorframe with a frown. When you go to follow, however, she grabs your arm and pulls you aside.

“You okay?” You ask when she doesn’t say anything, her eyes just staring at your face. “Robin?”

Her hands suddenly wrap around you, burying her face into your shoulder. You immediately grab onto her, sighing into the hug.

“I heard everything.” She says quietly, making no move to let go. “I should have been at the hospital, I’m sorry-”

“Robs,” You finally pull away, shaking your head. “I’m all good. See? It’s a long story, but I’m even better than I probably should be.”

Robin nods along, wiping away her teary eyes. “Good. Great. You need anything, though, you’d tell me?”

“As if you can’t already read my mind.” You smile, nudging her shoulder.

You both trail inside to where everyone was sitting listening to Will. You take a seat on the couch beside Dustin, hearing the tail-end to the conversation.

“Derek. He’s going after him next.” Will concludes, smiling at you when he notices your presence.

“Derek?” Steve questions, “Derek Turnbow? As in the Turnbow family? Like Turnbow Realty?”

“The one and only.” Robin nods, settling in on the other side of the room, and you frown.

“Who’s…” You start to ask before you shake your head. “Actually, do I wanna know?”

“Whole family’s a menace.” Lucas shares, and you raise an eyebrow in curiosity. He sends a knowing look. “Rich people wanting to be richer, kind of menace.”

“Gotcha.” You lean back into your side of the couch, shoulder pressing into Steve’s leg from where he was perched on the armrest.

“How can you be sure?” Nancy asks, face worn. “Sure that Derek’s the next target.”

“Because I saw.” Will says, eyes misting over with what you can only assume to be the haunting nightmares left in Vecna’s wake. “I’ve learned that when I’m close enough to the hive mind, I can tap into it- into Vecna’s mind. I can see who he’s targeting. The first time it happened, I saw through Holly’s eyes. The same day she was taken. And this morning, the same thing happened again. Only this time, I wasn’t Holly. I was someone else. I was Derek Turnbow. I’m positive.”

“Hold on, I’m a little lost.” Steve pinches the bridge of his nose, and Dustin huffs.

“Shocking.” He says, and you gently jab your elbow into him as Steve talks.

“Were you seeing through the eyes of… of Vecna, or of Derek?”

“Both.” Will confirms, and your eyes widen. “I was Vecna… but inside Derek’s mind.”

You slowly nod along, looking up to where Steve had looked more confused than before.

“Vecna’s like a psychic serial killer.” Robin reminds everyone, “He stalks his victims, but he does it by invading their minds. That’s what he did with Chrissy, with Max, with-”

“Me.” You say, shaking your head slightly as you pretended the events didn’t still affect you. “It’s different this time, though. I was listening to the feedback in the van and Vecna was showing me something. But it was nothing like what he used to show me. When I had that vision… I didn’t feel any, uh…”

“Fear?” Mike suggests, and you nod.

“Yeah.” You twist your hands together, “Like he wasn’t trying to scare anyone. Which is weird.”

“We did some digging at the hospital,” Nancy offers, and your eyes shoot up at her. “And it turns out that before he took Holly, Vecna stalked her, but… he didn’t appear as Vecna. He appeared as Henry. As a friend.”

“They saw me talking to my friend.” She admits, head low. You look confused, and she sighs. “My… imaginary… friend.”

“Oh.” You say, nodding slowly. “Let me guess, they think you’re too old to have imaginary friends?”

Holly just nods and you nudge her shoulder.

“He doesn’t feel imaginary.” She wipes her eyes.

How could you have been so blind?

“We think he was trying to earn her trust.” Mike adds, shaking his head, “Now, why he went to all that trouble, we don’t know. But I highly doubt his long-term goal is friendship.”

“Whatever it is, whatever he’s planning, we have to stop him. And we have to save Derek.” Will insists, not that any of you needed convincing.

Everyone here wanted Vecna’s head on a spike.

“Do you have a plan?” You ask, tilting your head at the way Will starts slowly nodding.

“Yeah, I think I do.”

Will leads everyone downstairs, to the hidden bunker beneath the Squawk. You hadn’t been down here in a while, too consumed with tracking the military broadcasts to join them on any mission planning. It was colder than you remember.

“The Turnbows live here.” Will points to the projected map. “We wait in a van across the street. As soon as they’re asleep, we move in, we grab Derek, and we take him to… here, the McCorkle farm. It’s completely isolated. It’s abandoned. The only thing is, we need to make sure he doesn’t see us or know where he is. So, we’ll need to blindfold him.”

“Wait- wait, hold on, what?” Steve reels back, and you have to agree with him on that one.

“We’re abducting people now?” You frown, wondering if you should have just stayed in your room and waited for them to figure it all out. “We can’t do that.”

“So that Vecna can’t find him.” Robin nods along as if the plan wasn’t crazy.

“Yeah.” Jonathan says sceptically, looking over at Joyce. “What, and Mom, you’re okay with just kidnapping a child?”

“No, we’re saving a child via kidnapping.” She says, and you tighten your lips. “And yeah, it’s fine. I think. Yes. Now’s not the time to play it safe, Jonathan.”

“Yeah, Jonathan.” You mutter beside him and he glares at you.

“You just opposed the idea.”

“I changed my mind, they make great points.”

“They haven’t made any points!”

“If I may,” Dustin interjects, walking out in front of you, “Though I’m not morally opposed to any of this, there are a few holes.”

“Yeah.” Lucas agrees, “Like what if Derek falls asleep before the Demogorgon attacks him?”

“Or what if Derek wakes up before we grab him, and alerts his family?” Nancy adds. “We’ll go to jail.”

“We can’t risk alerting the military.” You agree, wrapping your arms around yourself, “If they catch us even once doing something we’re not supposed to, we’re no help to anyone at all. We have to be as inconspicuous as possible.”

“Exactly.” Dustin nods, leaning against the table, “And the most gaping hole is even if by some miracle this plan even works, if we go under the radar, avoid the military, and keep the Demo far away from the Turnbows… Holly’s still missing. Hop and El, still MIA. This doesn’t bring us any closer to finding Vecna. This plan just buys us and Derek some time. That’s it.”

“Not necessarily.” Mike chimes in, a lightbulb of an idea striking his face. “There might be a way. A way to save Derek and find Holly.”

“It’s gonna involve a lot of work, isn’t it?” You say, and Mike smirks. “Oh yay.”

The plan, as suggested by Mike, is to get someone the Turnbow family is familiar with to infiltrate the house and knock them out so you can extract them safely. That person in question? None other than Erica Sinclair. You left the recruiting to Mike and Lucas, however, knowing that getting her onboard would be much harder than they think.

Joyce, Robin, and Will will be waiting with the family in a barn not far from the Squawk. Meanwhile, Nancy, Jonathan, Mike, and Lucas, will be trapping the demogorgon at the Turnbow house long enough to shoot a tracker into it.

Which leaves you, Steve, and Dustin to wait for the demogorgon to return to the Upside Down, and track it across Hawkins.

You didn’t want to be left behind this time. At least this way, you weren’t in any immediate danger, and you could keep Steve and Dustin from ripping each other’s throats out.

“So… a solid plan?” Mike looks up at everyone, and no one objects, making him smile. “Great. We should probably get a list of things we need out to Murray as soon as we can.”

Nancy volunteers herself to send out the message, grabbing a pen and paper. “Okay, what’s on the list?”

Everyone is gathered around the table now, offering up suggestions. Dustin peers over her shoulder to ensure everything he’s asked for is spelt correctly, nodding in approval every now and then.

Your hands shake for a moment, the sturdiness of the table no longer making you feel steady. Your friends were talking over each other, some even laughing, and suddenly that was all too much.

The pain in your chest was growing back again, and you didn’t need to make another scene.

Quietly, you retreat from the group, heading back up the steps and towards the back door of the station. There was a small porch situated outside there, providing you with just enough air to soothe yourself back to normality.

There was just an endless field for a view, a couple of hay bales and pumpkins lined up near the edge. It was oddly peaceful in Hawkins despite the knowledge of what is lurking beneath.

The door behind you creaks open, and you peer over your shoulder.

“Hey.” Steve greets, and you hide a smile.

“Following me now, Harrington?”

“You wish.” He grins, joining you at the railing. “I think you’re the one who just knows where I’m gonna be.”

“Oh, so I’m the stalker?” You raise a brow, and he nods.

“Absolutely.”

His shoulder brushes against yours and he seems to physically relax into it, eyes scanning the landscape like you had just done moments before. There’s a soft breeze in the wind, prickling goosebumps along your skin, but you don’t shiver. The coolness of it feels nice. Grounding.

Steve sighs, lips tightening. “About what happened in the van…”

“It’s okay, Steve.” You say, sending a small smile his way as the guilt starts twisting onto his face. “You were right.”

“No-”

“I almost won.” You frown into the air, mind wandering to those final moments with the demogorgon. “For just a second… I thought I did it. It was retreating.”

Steve’s hand gently slides onto yours on the railing, trying to get you to look at him.

“And my stupid heart ruined it all.” A tear slips down your cheek, one you let fall. “Holly’s gone because of me. Karen almost died because of me.”

“No one thinks that.” He finally says, shaking his head. You still avoid his eyes. “Can you look at me? Please?”

His fingers trace your jaw and tilt your head to him, those brown eyes drowning with sorrow.

“Mike told us that his mom is only alive because of you.”

You purse your lips to try and hide the way the sadness was attempting to take control of your expressions. “What?”

“They said she got lucky.” He explains, voice low, making sure you listen. “That one more attack would have killed her. And you stopped that.”

“But I didn’t stop it from taking Holly.”

“Now we know that Vecna wanted her…” Steve assesses his next words, a soft scrunch between his brows. “I don’t think any of us could have stopped it. We both know when he wants something, he doesn’t give up. And I was wrong, Y/n. You weren’t stupid for going into that house.”

You didn’t have a response to that. Instead, you just nod numbly. He lowers his forehead to rest against yours.

“I was just scared.” He whispers with your hands tangled between his. “I need you to be careful, or I’m gonna lose my damn mind.”

“Probably too late for that.” You smile, and he laughs, pulling back to look at you.

“Just… Can you please take a step back, for now? At least until we’ve gotten the hard work out of the way.”

“I can’t just sit inside while everyone works-”

“I’m not asking that.” He shakes his head, running a hand through his hair as he watches the group start to exit the mission bunker. “You can… observe. I know it’s not what you wanna do, but you shouldn’t be risking anything until it counts.”

“Okay.” You finally breathe, stepping towards the door. “I’ll observe. I promise.”

“Okay, so I couldn’t get any ethanol, but,” Murray smirks, grabbing the object behind him and handing it to Steve, “I was able to scrounge up a gallon of acetone. Now, be very careful. You smoke a Virginia Slim too close to this stuff, it’ll catch fire, okay?”

“Yeah, we’ll keep the smoking to a minimum.” You hum in agreement and Murray winks at you. Steve scrunches his face at the exchange before another item is thrust into his view.

“Snare wire, various gauges.” He hands more of it to Steve before turning back around. “A creepy, child-sized CPR dummy. Its purpose a mystery to me.”

Jonathan takes it from him and you frown at the plastic dummy. Is this really going to work?

“Shotgun shells, per our lovely lady’s request.” He nods at Nancy. “And three 20 packs of water balloons. Purpose also a mystery. But I did take the liberty of selecting the grenade style as it felt thematically appropriate.”

“Outdoing yourself once again, Austin.” You sigh.

“I do try.” He smiles, reaching down to the box in front of him. “Do keep those far away from… these 3000 feet of barbed wire. Oh, I almost forgot. Some sparkling new spark plugs for Bilbo Baggins.”

“Spark plugs, that’s it?” Dustin frowns. Everyone else has started heading back into the building with all their equipment in hand, ready to start the preparations.

“I’m also giving out free hugs.” Murray shrugs, making you laugh.

“You didn’t get the turbocharger?”

“No.”

“The suspension kit?”

“No.”

“The aerodynamic spoiler?”

“Oh, let me guess.” You chime in, and Murray pauses for your answer. “No.”

“Ding, ding, ding!” He laughs, but Dustin doesn’t find it nearly as amusing.

“It wasn’t a goddamn Christmas list, Murray.” Dustin stresses and Murray jumps down from the van, eyes narrowed.

“That’s exactly what it was. And the fact that Santa Murray scrounged all this up in a single afternoon and smuggled it into what is likely the most heavily secured location outside of the White House, Fort Knox, and Area 51, is a goddamn Christmas miracle. So, count your blessings, hang some mistletoe, pucker up, and kiss my jolly ass!”

Dustin tightens his lips, nodding slowly. “Thank you for the spark plugs.”

Murray leans against the side of the truck, watching Dustin retreat back into the barn with a sigh. “He’s too smart for his own good, ain’t he?”

“He means well. And we sure as hell need him more than he needs us most of the time.” You offer, folding your arms. “How much harder was it to get here this time?”

Murray tilts his head at you, a look in his eye that answered the question before it left his mouth. “Something tells me the next time I try it, they’re searching the truck. Handsy-style.”

“Shit.” You sigh, watching the way everyone was moving inside of the barn, different exchanges happening but all staying on mission. The stakes were never this high before. Then again, you didn’t have the military breathing down your necks and surveying your every move.

“Oh, by the way…”

You look over to see Murray patting down his pockets, humming when he finds what he was searching for and handing it over to you.

A folded piece of paper.

“You got me a note?” You raise a brow and Murray shakes his head, the usual look of mischief falling to a serious expression.

“Open it.”

You gently unfold the paper with a frown, eyes trailing across the dozens of small lines of typed writing. There was a small logo in the top corner you couldn’t recognise, but the signature at the bottom made your blood seethe.

“Sullivan.” You whisper out, and Murray nods.

“Old military buddy of mine managed to get into the sucker’s office. He does it every so often, usually to inform cases I work on, blah blah blah. He asked me what I wanted to know this time. So, I figured… why not help a friend out?”

You find it as soon as he finishes explaining, throat squeezing until you were sure you would choke on nothing.

The subject is non-responsive to sixty-three different rounds of treatment, results varying between aggression and hysteria. It appears what we assumed was happening is not evolving naturally. I believe keeping the subject here will breach every man’s safety in the facility.

Dr Kay requests we dispatch the subject to her current post. I do not believe this will be beneficial. We must eliminate any danger before it is beyond our control.

Await for further instructions,

Lt. Col Jack Sullivan.

“My intel couldn’t find anything else out. It’s all been kept hush hush. But… seems promising it’s your friend they’re talking about.”

“Do you think they did it?” You ask quietly, hand shaking. “Eliminated him?”

“No way to tell. Whatever they were doing was kept under lock and key from everyone. But considering this is clearly a letter that has no address and was found on Sullivan’s desk… the orders never made it anywhere. Chances are they’ve still got him.”

“Or Dr. Kay does.” You say, folding the paper back up when you notice a pair of eyes looking at you from the barn. “Thanks, Murray. Seriously.”

“Hey, anything for you, kid.” He pats your shoulder, pulling the shutter back down on the van with a sigh, “And don’t worry, I’m not gonna share a single word of this with anyone else. I know what it’s like to be crazy until proven sane.”

You give him a curt nod before you walk over to where Dustin was currently attempting to (terribly) disguise the fact he was spying on you a moment ago.

“Oh, hey, Y/n. Didn’t see you there.” Dustin shrugs nonchalantly, fiddling with the spark plugs in his hand.

“Uh-huh.” You smirk, “How’s your nose?”

“Barely feel it.” He shrugs, then his face scrunches. “Can’t tell if that’s a good thing or not.”

“Better than the alternative.” You offer, and he nods.

“How about you?” He asks, eyes a little wider with empathy. “Are you… Are you okay?”

You take a breath, repeating your last words with a quieter tone. “Better than the alternative.”

“I should have been there on the crawl.” He finally sighs, dropping the plugs onto an empty bench, “Maybe then the van wouldn’t have broken down and we could have come to help you.”

“Hey, what’s done is done.” You rest your arm around him, placing your cheek on the side of his head. He was much taller now than the boy that would follow you around the Wheeler house with a toothy grin. “Everything will work out for us, okay? We’re gonna find Hop and El, rescue Holly, and beat the shit out of some monsters along the way. True hero style.”

Dustin smiles at that, eyes gleaming. “Just like a campaign, huh?”

“Sure, bud.” You laugh, hand quickly removing his hat to scruff up his hair.

He starts laughing, ready to protest your actions before a giant crash echoed through the barn, making you both frown.

You send a questioning look his way, and he shrugs. With a sigh, you shove the hat back on his head and move towards the noise continuously being made outside.

You both walk into the bizarre sight of Steve Harrington tearing out the interior of the WSQK van, chucking things out the back with a heavy grunt.

“What are you doing?” Dustin frowns, narrowly missing a metal bar thrown in front of him.

“Are you gonna help me or just stand there?” Steve barely spares a glance, kneeling on the carpet as his eyes squinted from the bright sun. He finally notices you standing beside the boy, eyes softening. “You okay? You and Murray were talking for a while.”

“Oh, uh, yeah.” You say, clocking Dustin’s curious smirk. “We were just talking.”

“About what?” Steve asks, a little more persistently than you would have liked.

You narrow your eyes. “Stuff.”

“Stuff-” Steve breathes out, shaking his head. “What kinda stuff?”

You raise your brows and Dustin can’t help the laugh that escapes him, earning a glare from Steve.

“What’re you laughing at?”

“I can’t believe you’re jealous of a 40 year old.” He snorts.

“Hey, no, I’m not-”

“Steve.” You sigh, rubbing your forehead slightly, the bright sun inducing a small migraine. “What are you doing?”

“Upgrades.” He shrugs, looking between you both. “So, uh, help?”

“I’d rather not herniate a disc over a lost cause.” Dustin comments, still seemingly amused at his own earlier remark.

“Yeah, that’s the attitude.” Steve mutters, smiling slightly as you hand over the drill he was searching for.

“This van once stalled out chugging up Pickett Road like it was the Little Engine That Couldn’t.”

“In the van’s defence, I can barely get up Pickett Road.” You announce and a brief and rare grin graces Dustin’s features.

“Maybe not, but this thing is not fast enough to keep up with a Demo, not without serious modifications.”

“Yeah, Henderson, what the hell do you think I’m doing?” Steve gestures around him, “Modifying.”

“It kinda just looks like you’re emptying it.” You say, peering inside. Even the bench you usually sat on was reduced to the pile on the grass.

“A lighter van is a faster van.” He replies, and you scrunch your face.

“Um-”

“If we’re just tracking, we don’t need half of the crap that’s in here.” He continues, wiping his forehead. “Speaking of, can one of you go empty the window washer fluid?”

“Oh, the window washer fluid. That’ll do it. Good job, Steven.” Dustin claps his hands mockingly and you whack the back of his head. “Hey, what the hell?”

“If you don’t like it, then be helpful.” You suggest, glaring at Steve when he attempts to open his mouth, most likely to spew out more bickering messages. “And you should maybe ask for suggestions before you destroy a perfectly good van.”

Steve pauses, running a hand through his hair. “And what do you suggest I do?”

“I don’t care.” You raise your hands in surrender, pointing to the building you were now creeping toward. “This is all on you two, I’m just meant to be observing, remember?”

“That was merely a suggestion.” He sulks and you grin.

As you walk away, you can hear Steve’s sudden protests, glancing over your shoulder to where Dustin was climbing on top of Steve’s beamer, a drill bit in his hand.

“Hey, no- no, not my-”

Dustin was drilling a hole into its roof. You were unsure if you should stop him, but the boy was just doing what you suggested.

“Y/n!” Steve calls after you, arms flailing about as Dustin laughs almost maniacally.

“Observing!” You retort, disappearing inside before anything else happens.

Inside wasn’t any better.

Nancy was smiling with a determined look in her eye at Murray, the telemetry tracker in one hand, a shotgun shell in the other. You pause for a moment to meet Murray’s eyes, his face worn with discontent.

“Did you question her ideas?” You ask, Murray’s head hanging low with regret.

“...Yeah.”

You look at Nancy, her eyes squinting in amusement at you, making you smile.

“Good luck with that.” You snort, walking further into the building.

You find the radio you sought after, sitting at the table and letting your shoulders fall with an exhale of the breath you kept trapped inside whenever you were around the others.

You figure the best way to help them all is to just get out of their way and keep tabs on the radio. The only way you were getting any updates would be through the military frequency. You just needed to know. About Hopper and El, Holly… Eddie.

Sullivan had him, you were sure of it. You just didn’t know if he had him still.

After a few minutes of searching, the static cuts out into a transmission, and you immediately shove the headphones on your head, leaning in like it would help you hear better.

It was definitely a military broadcast. Two men, maybe. And a conversation that stiffened your shoulders.

Voice One: “First unit, are you at location? Over.”

Voice Two: “Copy. Place appears to be empty. Over.”

Voice One: “Is the vehicle gone? Over.”

Voice Two: “Negative. Car is still parked. Over.”

Voice Three: “This is Dr. Kay. First unit, search the house. Find her.”

A long blur of static blares through the speaker.

“I want Y/n Mayfield brought to me alive. Over.”

Chapter Five: A Nice Night for a Kidnapping ->

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