It was dark, almost pitch black, and freezing. He hadn't realized how much he had relied on Nora's burning hands on the way down, but she had used to much of her power to do it again as they swam back up to the boat. Despite crossing the gate mere seconds after her, Eddie couldn't see her; just perhaps a slight shadow a few feet to his right that could have been - that he hoped was - Nora. It being night time certainly wasn't helping, and Eddie could only hope he was going in the right direction. Though a terrific swimmer, he had never been particularly good at holding his breath for long periods of time.
Finally, he broke through the surface of the lake, gasping for breath and reach a hand up for Robin and Steve to grab onto so that they could pull him onto the row boat.
"Where's Nora?"
"What?" Eddie gasped, turning his attention back to the water.
She had been in front of him, she should have surfaced first. When seconds passed with no sign of the woman, he leapt back in before the others had a chance, grabbing a torch. How could he have forgotten she could barely swim when their conversation had been barely more than a half hour ago?
The torch wasn't protected against the water by a plastic bag like their first had been, but it lasted a blessed few seconds, and that was enough. Nora was floating listlessly in the dark emptiness half way between him and the lake bed, her arms out at her sides, her axe long having fallen out of her hand and Eddie's heart clenched as he rushed towards her. The flashlight had given up by then but he knew the way, he remembered where she was and his hands reached out blindly, brushing against her shoulders as he tried to get a good grip around her waist.
This close, the darkness wasn't too much of an issue and he almost wasted air sighing in relief at the faint sight of her eyes fluttering open before he began to pull them back up to the surface, clutching her tightly to him.
Once again, Steve and Robin were on the boat ready to pull Nora up, laying her down on the floor. Her breaths were shallow, her eyes unfocused but moving and the trio leant over her, Robin laughing in relief as tears glistened on her cheeks and Steve muttered his thanks to the universe that she was safe, stroking her cheek and hair with a hand. The blood on Nora's body had washed away but more was seeping from her wounds and falling from her nostrils and she was clearly weak and tired, but an arm came up anyway to rest on Steve's chest, reassuring him.
"I'm ok." She rasped. "I'm alright."
Reluctantly leaving her side once they had assured themselves that she was indeed fine for now, Eddie and Steve rowed them back to shore while Robin sat with Nora in her lap, each of them whispering reassurances at one another, clutching each other tightly.
"Where are the kids?" Steve asked as they docked, jumping from the boat onto solid ground to look around them.
The forest was empty, the Party was gone and the only sound was that of the wind whistling through the trees.
"They must have gone back to wait for us at the house."
The man nodded reluctantly, turning back to the row boat to pull it more completely onto solid ground even as Eddie made his way back to the girls, kneeling beside them to hook an arm under Nora's arms and knees.
"What are you - Eddie, no, I'm fine!" The woman protesting weakly as he rose and began carrying her bridal-style to the front, nodding his thanks to Steve who had held a hand out to help them down.
"Nora, just let us take care of you, yeah?" Steve pleaded and she huffed, laying her head back against Eddie's shoulder.
They made it back to the car quickly and Eddie climbed in the backseat with Nora, arranging her so that she was laid on her back. The lesser injuries on her face and neck had stopped bleeding, as had her nose, but when she lifted the hem of her shirt to look at of the worst bites, Eddie could still see the red liquid bubbling up from her wound. Nora didn't seem overly concerned, simply grimacing pressingly a hand against it as she let her head fall back onto his lap, his hand quickly coming to tangle into her hair.
It stayed there for the entire ride, just stoking her scalp as she closed her eyes and relaxed, breathing deeply, unaware that Eddie was watching her for the entire half hour it took to get back to her house. Robin and Steve noticed though, and regularly sent back concerned glances and small smiles as they sped through town.
Finally screeching to a halt in her driveway, they quickly exited the car, Eddie keeping a tight grip on Nora's arm, only to stop at the sight of two extra cars parked on the road in front of the house.
Sometimes, generally during the frequent supernatural disasters that happened in Hawkins, Jim Hopper regretted that he was such a public figure. He couldn't go anywhere, do anything, without people recognising him, stopping him to ask questions. That said, his position as Chief of Police did come in handy at times, for instance when that Jason boy was mouthing off at the town meeting and when it came to controlling the comings and goings around the crime scenes.
It also allowed him full and unobstructed access to said crime scenes, which meant he was the first to realize that a gate was opening at each place this Vecna person claimed a new victim.
Eddie Munson's trailer was closed down and boarded up, the road where Fred Benson died was closed off, the one in the lake was hidden far under water, and he had arranged for a 24 hour surveillance team around each site.
"You call me if you see any movement, got it?" He had ordered. "You do not approach, you don't do anything. You call me immediately and you get the hell out of there, no matter what."
Three victims meant three gates, placed all over town, and the last thing they needed was another army of Demodogs running all over the place.
He hadn't even made it back home to get El - only a half hour away from the lake - before his radio crackled.
"Yo Chief, Officer Powell here. Uh, you said to let you know if there's any movement at the lake -"
Hopper had swerved his truck back around and grabbed the radio before the officer even had the chance to finish, happy to see that Joyce had followed his unexpected change in directions.
"Get out of there, Powell, we're on our way!"
"But Chief, it's just a bunch of kids -"
"I don't care if it's a Goddamn squirrel!" Hop replied, cutting him off once again. Even if it was a group of kids curious about the crime scene rather than the army he feared, their proximity might attract the monsters from the other dimension. He had to get there and he had to clear the area, fast. "Get back to your truck and stay there!"
There were no further arguments and he sped down the road, turning his sirens on and glancing back at Joyce, newly made officer herself, as she matched him move for move. Together, they had an arsenal in their trunks, having taken Nora's example and ensuring they always had enough firepower within close range.
Skidding to a halt on the edge of the road that was closest to the lake, where Powell and half a dozen other officers were waiting for them by their cars, the man cursed.
"What the hell is this? What the hell are you all doing here?" Hopper demanded as he slammed his truck door closed.
Officer Powell stepped forward from where he had been leaning back on his car, shooting a glace at the others behind him before addressing the Chief.
"I called them in, boss." He stated. "One of those kids had hair like that Munson boy, I figure he went back to the crime scene, show his friends where he did it. Thought you'd need all the help you could get, considering."
"Considering what?"
Joyce stopped by his side and looked up at him as he faced off his subordinates.
"Considering what that Carver boy said he saw."
Hopper scoffed. "What, that Patrick just floated in the air and got killed by - by the Devil? Is that it? Get your head out your asses and get back to the station, you're done for the night."
Turning his head away from the others, he nodded to Joyce and they began to make their way to the tree line, intent on finding the intruders and sending them away before anyone else got killed. It was difficult at times; as much as he wanted to keep the kids out of this, they were short on actual adults that were in the know, and it often felt like they were being pulled in multiple directions.
The officers, though, weren't about to let them go so easily, apparently.
"You're going with her?" Callahan asked, edging forward slightly and the Chief noticed his right hand twitch slightly.
"Is that a problem with you guys?" He responded, voice dropping dangerously low, daring any of them to say something against her.
He was pleased to see that he was still just as intimidating as ever as the men shuffled uncomfortably, lowering their eyes and refusing to look at him directly.
"It's just - her youngest. He's friends with Munson. Plays that satanic game with him."
Joyce, fierce lioness that she was, immediately stepped forward with a stormy look on her face. "Hey!" She snapped. "D&D is not a satanic game and my Will has got nothing to do with these murders! And we don't know anything about Eddie's involvement in the matter either."
"She's right." Hopper said, narrowing his eyes at the men before them. "You keep talking about Munson as if he's already been tried, but I'll remind you he's not even been interrogated yet, and in this country it's innocent until proven guilty."
"That's because he ran!"
"Look, Chief." Powell interrupted, raising his hands to deescalate the situation and taking a step closer to the pair to meet their eyes. "The fact of the matter is that these are the most gruesome murders we've ever seen - you said that. And whether Munson is involved or not, whether there's Devil worshipping shit going on or not, the guy that did this is sick." The others behind him nodded along, and he couldn't help but fear where this was going. "I respect you, Chief. You've done more for this town than anyone. And because of that, we can't let you go in there alone with just a newbie, even if those kids out there are just trouble makers looking for a little excitement."
Hopper grit his teeth and turned away slightly. Either he brought the force with him or he wasted time arguing with them. And it was just a group of kids, Powell had said, there was no sign of anything supernatural going on tonight yet, there wasn't anything out there that he had to stop them from seeing.
Shooting a look at Joyce, he saw that she had the same resigned expression on her face that he did and he groaned in frustration.
"Alright, come on!" He snapped, finally making his way towards the forest's edge, the others following behind him.
Flashlights at the ready, the group made their way slowly through the trees, stepping carefully and making their way towards a spot where Hopper knew there was a break in the trees and a small earthy bank where they could stand and see out into the lake clearly. But someone was already there.
As soon as they got close, a voice sounded out into the night:
"Hey! Over here! We found the killer! We got the killer, follow us!"
Hopper knew that voice. Looking closer, he could see multiple dark shadows moving ahead of them, running from the lake's edge further into the forest. A flash of red hair, a flashlight shining over a yellow shirt, a dark mop of hair and the familiar sound of a crackling radio. It was the kids, and they were leading them away from the lake.
Exchanging a glance with Joyce, Hopper didn't have to think before he spurred their group on, chasing after the kids, trusting them to know what they were doing and resolving to have words with them later regarding the reason for their presence at a murder site and a gate to the Upside Down when he had clearly told them to not get involved.
Max's shouts continued, one of the other children adding their own calls occasionally, leading them further and further into the forest, keeping away from both the lake and the road.
Eventually, after almost ten minutes of running, the kids must have decided they were far enough.
"El, now!"
A tree collapsed in front of them, causing them to skid to a halt with cries of surprise. A second tree followed, falling onto a third and within seconds the trail was blocked and the kids had disappeared, leaving the police officers stranded just as Hopper knew they had planned. But they were away from the lake and whatever was going on over there, and that was all that mattered.
"Alright, guys, night's over." He said, putting on a defeated and disappointed air. "Let's go home."
There were grumblings, but everyone agreed that there was nothing else to see out here and they slowly made their way back to their cars, Hopper and Joyce leading the way.
As soon as they were back in their trucks, they were speeding down the road to Nora's where Hopper was sure the Party had congregated. His honorary daughter's house was the preferred hang out, it being large enough to hold everyone comfortably and he knew she always kept her door unlocked, whether she was there or not in case anyone wanted to drop by. And he had a feeling that she was not there at that moment.
His teeth were clenched and his hands held the steering wheel tightly as he thought about the suspiciously small figures he had chased through the forest. Not a single adult had been with them, and they had clearly been leading them away from something. What were Nora, Steve and Robin up to now and what did it have to do with the gate? He could only hope that Eddie had the presence of mind to stay inside, but somehow he didn't think that was the case either.
Parking their cars on the road, Hopper and Joyce slammed their doors shut and stomped to the house, banging the door open. The children of the Party were indeed all gathered in the living room and jumped up at the sudden interruption, Will, El and Mike paling at the sight of the anger on the pair's faces.
"What," Hopper seethed, stepping further into the room, "the hell was that?"
None of the kids responded, instead sending each other fearful looks and Hopper knew that there was something that would seriously upset him going on.
"What the hell were you doing at the gate and where are Nora and Eddie?"
"Wait, you know about the gate?" Dustin asked. Always the first to break, Hopper thought. You just had to distract him first.
"Of course I know about the gate!" He responded, voice still trembling in anger. "The question is how the hell you do? And why didn't you let us know? That was the deal!"
"My compass was malfunctioning."
"Where are Nora and Eddie?" Joyce repeated, eyes trained on her son who had his head lowered to the ground in shame.
Once again, the kids exchanged looks, debating on whether or not to tell them, as if they actually had a choice.
"They're at the gate, aren't they?" Hopper guessed, and Lucas' wince answered that question clearly enough. "Goddamn it!" He cried out, throwing his hat on a chair. "We told you to stay away from this! I told you: any information you get from Eddie, you pass onto me! You let the adults deal with this!"
"They are adults!" Mike protested.
"Yeah, we didn't go anywhere near the gate." Max added.
"We meant real adults!" Joyce responded. "They may be over 18 but they're still just kids!"
"What the hell were you all doing there, anyway?"
"We just wanted to check it out! Make sure the gate was there! You told us to get information!"
Hopper blew out a breath and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose as he took a seat. These kids were being purposefully obtuse, he knew it. Why was it so hard to keep them out of things? They just wanted to keep their kids safe.
"Out of Eddie." He said, speaking slowly. "Get information out of Eddie. You don't go near the gates."
"Wait!" Dustin cried, eyes wide and staring at him with his mouth open. "Gates? As in plural?"
"Yeah, there's one at each crime scene." Joyce responded, clearly having thought that if they had found one then they had found them all - after all, a gate opening at the exact spot one of the victims died was too much to be a coincidence - and the Party stared at them incredulously.
"And you didn't think this was relevant information to share?"
"No, we didn't." Hopper said, levelling the teen with a glare. "Cause see, we are investigating this. Us. The adults. Not you. You give us information and we investigate, not the other way around."
At that moment, the door banged open again and Steve barged through, eyes wide with panic, his lack of a shirt displaying the dirt and blood on his body. Robin followed quickly behind him, just as dirty but thankfully uninjured, and Eddie held up the rear, holding Nora by the waist as he helped her into the house. Hopper's heart almost stopped at the expression on her face, eyes half closed and wincing in pain as she let Eddie carry most of her weight.
The house devolved into shouts and cries of shock at the sight of them all and they all rushed to the newcomers, only standing aside to allow Eddie to place Nora on the couch. She sank into the couch with a sigh of relief and shot the young man a grateful smile before her eyes found Hopper's.
The children were still milling around, asking question after question, apart from El who had run to the kitchen to grab something to eat for her sister, and the Chief noticed the familiar trace of blood on her upper lip and crusted near her ear that she had tried to wipe away. He couldn't imagine what she had done to cause blood to pour from both nostrils and her ears; he had seen her use unimaginable amounts of power before but none of it was ever enough to cause this reaction.
Running to gather her in his arms, he held her tightly and she practically melted into him.
Only when El returned holding a salad bowl full of ice cream with sprinkles, chocolate sauce and small bits of cookie did he step back, barking an order for silence. Everyone quieted immediately and looked over to him, except Joyce who had removed Steve's bandages and was inspecting his wounds, whispering quietly at him.
"Alright." Hopper said quietly, eyes trained on Steve's injuries, his gut clenching at the multitude of holes in his chest and abdomen. "Story. Now."
"We went to check out the gate." Robin answered, her own eyes never leaving her friend. "Steve dived in to take a look, but when he got back something grabbed him and dragged him in."
"We went in after." Nora continued, her face slack and head leaned back against the cushion as El spooned more and more ice cream up to her mouth. "We went through the gate and fought off the Flyers that had Steve."
"Flyers?" Dustin asked, but Hopper ignored him.
"Is that how Steve got so hurt?"
"Not just Steve." Eddie grumbled quietly and Hopper's narrowed eyes immediately latched onto him. The boy's eyes wouldn't leave Nora and Hopper followed his gaze, taking in the sight of the young woman a little more critically.
Upon inspection, the majority of Nora's shirt was darker than it should be, her jeans were stained red in certain parts, and some spots were still glistening wetly. He didn't think that was lake water as her clothes were dry now and he swallowed thickly at the thought of injuries similar to Steve's littering her body.
"What happened then?" Joyce asked.
"We ran away to make a plan, take care of Steve's injuries, and Nora said she could clear a path for us to get back out." Robin responded, her voice shaking slightly. "She - she exploded. Killed like a couple hundred of them."
There were whispers of muted excitement and awe from the kids behind him but paid no attention, he knew how powerful Nora was. After all, she had almost single handedly defeated an army of Demodogs a hundred strong when he first met her and it had only caused blood to pour from one nostril even two years ago.
Breathing deeply to try and calm himself down, Hopper didn't turn away from his daughter as he addressed the room.
"You're all grounded."
Protests immediately sounded, piercing the air loudly but he didn't flinch.
"What?!"
"That's not fair!"
"You can't do that!"
"You're not our Dad!"
"Some of us are adults here."
"Quiet!" He roared, finally turning to face them. "I may not be your Dad but I am the Chief of Police, and all of you are on house arrest! The only exceptions are Robin and Steve for work - though son, you might want to take a few days off, rest up - but that's it! And I'm taking your walkies."
"Oh come on!"
"We can't even talk to each other?"
"What if we find something?"
"The you call the precinct and you tell us." Joyce answered, rising to her full height and glaring at them all with the same intensity as he was. "Just like you should have done when you saw the compasses."
He found it funny how her stare was more intimidating than his despite her short stature, making them shrink back where he had made them to rise up in mutiny.
"You're all done. No more investigating, no more gathering information. You can't be trusted to follow simple orders and stick within the limitations we give you, so you're off the case. You stay home and you behave. Do your homework or whatever it is kids your age do. You too, Nora. I'll put a note on your shop door explaining you're closed and to call you at home if any customers want to make an order."
Everyone left shortly after that, dejectedly climbing into Steve and Joyce's cars to be driven home, leaving Nora, El, Hopper and Eddie alone in the house.
With a glare levelled his way, Eddie quickly excused himself to the bathroom to shower and El and Hopper helped Nora up the stairs to clean her up and tend to her numerous injuries. He was just glad she took pride in her scars, because she would have many more once these healed, though he couldn't help but lament over the fact that her idea of decorating or highlighting them with tattoos was still something he couldn't convince her to give up. She'd end up covered from head to toe in ink at this rate.
Not for the first time, Hopper cursed how attached he had gotten to these girls that had the unique ability to attract trouble.