Hello everyone! I am back to writing and after reigniting my love for Stranger Things since the new season has hit, plus the fantastic character development of Robin and Nancy of this season I decided to write my own Ronance story! Mostly compliant with the Season 4 content. This is my first time writing for these characters but please enjoy!
The Upside Down
Steve took the lead in guiding the trio up the stairs into the Creel house. Flash lights in each hand illuminating the path, they continued on until they reached the front door, standing face to face with the oddly beautiful stained glass panel. Steve reached down and twisted the knob, gingerly opening the door, which squealed and creaked as he did so. Which revealed a new set of obstacles.
Tentacles.
But not as they had seen throughout the remainder of Upside Down Hawkins, there were hundreds, if not thousands of them. They writhed and slithered across every surface, squealing wetly as they travelled, knitting tightly together. It meant little space was uncovered, making the next moments of their mission significantly more challenging. Steve looked down to observe the mess, "Oh shit…" For once he was lost for words over how to react to the situation they now needed to navigate. Shining his light down, he traced over the largest collection of tentacles, which engulfed the floorboards almost in its entirety. "That's not good." Steve glanced over his shoulder to gauge the reaction of his friends behind him, and noticed they looked just as concerned.
When he turned back he gingerly took a step forward, being incredibly careful of his foot placement before trying to decide on the safest route across the hall. There were several small spaces in the tentacles, which he began to move towards. He released his hand from the door, placing all trust in the athleticism of his body and knowledge from all his previous Upside Down experiences; Steve began to hop forwards skillfully, planning his next step mentally before he made a move. Despite his large frame he moved with precision, able to successfully jump between each of the spaces, only able to hope by going first he would instil the other two with more confidence by letting them follow his path.
Robin and Nancy watched on as Steve began to find his way across the tentacles, gasping every now and then when he wobbled on his feet. "Shit," Robin gasped, she was the most clumsy and uncoordinated of the group, and here she was expected to leap her way over these tentacles which could ruin the entire plan, not to mention probably taking her life with it. An uneasy feeling rose in her stomach and without an ounce of control over her brain, familiar feelings of anxiety alongside many racing thoughts started to overwhelm her. There was no Steve to ground her, using their sibling like bickering and humour to do so. He was too deep in concentration as he continued to figure a safe route, so she naturally clutched onto the nearest thing to her.
Nancy's hand.
When she realised what she had done she turned in the direction of the shorter girl, looking for any kind of reassurance or support. Nancy looked down at what had made contact, feeling a warm sensation tingle through her palm down each finger, before meeting Robin's gaze. Robin can only assume her face read like a book, one of sheer terror, as Nancy returned the squeeze gently on her hand "It's okay." She nodded to reassure her, "You've got this," she confirmed whilst not breaking eye-contact. Robin continued to stare at her, feeling the uneasy feeling in her stomach begin to transfer to another that was just as nervous. Robin inhaled then exhaled deeply, trying to calm herself before releasing Nancy's hand, stealing a final glance into Nancy's thoughtful pools of blue. When Robin released Nancy's hand she gestured forward, letting her take after Steve. Nancy stayed behind and stared on as Robin nervously began to step forward. Robin could only hear her heartbeat in her head, thankfully drowning out the gurgling noises the tentacles were making. Nancy looked on in concern as Robin took her first steps, before quickly following behind being prepared to catch her friend should she fall, before any harm could come to her.
Thankfully Nancy had been correct in her belief in Robin, she reached the otherside of the hall with ease but the next obstacle would be the stairs. Steve briefly glanced over to make sure both girls were following closely behind him, before he continued to create a pathway for them to follow. Robin was able to relax slightly at being able to narrowly avoid the tentacles, praying that none would move and cause her to trip or fumble as she made her way up the stairs. Nancy continued to keep her eyes on the girl, just in case, she welcomed a new found feeling of wanting no harm to come to her.
At the top of the stairs there was enough space for the three to gather and stand safely. Once they all had arrived at their respective speeds, they naturally fell into position. Nancy in the lead clasping her shotgun in hand which Steve had passed to her without hesitation, Robin felt somewhat left out of the operation, they seemed to work so well in tandem. She certainly couldn't ignore a twinge of jealousy rising in her, though she was unsure exactly why, she had barely scratched the surface with Nancy and Steve was her perfectly, platonic, best-friend, there was nothing to worry about.
That was when the world began to shake, an earthquake but within the upside down. Steve grabbed onto each of the girls arms in an attempt to steady them all. Each of them breathing heavily from the sudden shock of being violently shook. Steve stood his ground, both feet firmly planted there. Robin let out a squeal, closing her eyes firmly shut and held tightly onto Steve's arm to steady herself, and before she could even notice, she had grabbed onto Nancy's free hand tightly until the shaking subsided. The three of them looked at each other, ensuring everyone was unharmed, each trying to catch their breath.
That's when Robin suddenly heard a familiar wet, slithering sound and looked down towards her boots. She noticed in the midst of the tremors she had thoughtlessly stood on one of the tentacles which began to coil itself around her ankle. Robin made some frantic cries, but was unable to bring any words to the surface as she tried to comprehend what was about to happen to her. She looked up at her friends at the last moment in horror before she was taken under the hive mind's grasp and thrown against the wall with a sickening thud. Steve and Nancy watched on hopelessly, taken aback in shock.
"Steve! Nancy!" Robin lets out a strangled cry for help before the tentacles wrap tightly around each of her limbs. Though Robin calls out for Steve first, he is too stunned to react. Meanwhile Nancy's stomach drops at the sound of Robin's pained and panicked cries, she is filled with instant dread which then turns to rage. Robin cries out as she begins to hyperventilate, until she is unable to anymore as they tighten around her neck. Nancy lunges forward and slams the stock of her shotgun into the tentacles that cling onto Robin's right wrist. Blindsided with the fear of losing her friend, she repeatedly hits at the tentacle. Steve ends up joining the fight, swinging his axe wildly trying to make contact with anything he can to save his best-friend.
With each movement Robin makes the tentacles wrap tighter around her, especially her neck until it becomes even hard to breathe. It's strangling her, she's almost sure she's going to die. Robin continues to fight and struggles against its growing grip until she eventually has to relent. She has no choice but to stare onwards as Steve is dragged up the wall by another set of tentacles after it steals his axe from his hands in his attempts to free Robin. Shortly after another catches Nancy by the ankle, pulling her hard to the ground. If Robin could shudder at the sight, she would but she's so tightly bound she can't move an inch. Forcibly she watches on as Nancy tries to retrieve the shotgun, that has been knocked out her hands, from the floor until she is eventually dragged back and flung tightly next to Steve against the wall.
Nancy looks over to Robin whose eyes are becoming increasingly bloodshot from the tension around her neck. Robin knows this as the corners of her vision are starting to darken. This is it, she and her friends are going to die, and nobody will know where to find them. She stares across at Nancy and tries to mouth out her name. Tears prick at the corner of Nancy's eyes as she watches on, Robin will lose consciousness soon if she can't breathe, she's been up there far longer than herself and Steve. They continue to stare onwards at each other, desperation and care, and maybe something more, displayed in both their eyes.
But then it happens so suddenly, nobody is able to brace for the impact, Nancy, Steve and Robin all hit the floor with a thud as the tentacles loosen their grip and begin to recede back towards the attic door.
Everything after that moment had become a blur for Robin. Throwing flaming molotovs, fire, gun shots from Nancy that ricochet around her ears, Vecna flailing. The adrenaline had been running through all of them for sure after a near death experience, but Robin had become completely overwhelmed so by the time they were ready to head back to the gate to escape she had gone into auto-pilot. Steve reminded her constantly that she was frantically rambling about the possibilities that Max was in fact not dead even though the clock had chimed and Hawkins had split, and that they could go through any gate if the ritual had been complete, and that everyone else could have been in fact successful but Vecna could have still won. They didn't have to lose so he could win. She didn't even remember returning to the devastation that was Hawkins, all she could think about was how she nearly died, and how Nancy Wheeler held her hand, had tried to save her life and stared at her with desperation as though she was going to die. Of anything that was on her mind, it was Nancy Wheeler.