Sorry for the long wait! The chapter is a bit longer than usual for make up for that!
Experienced fingers patched up the open wounds on Steve's torso. None of the punctures hit a vital organ or needed stitches - some peroxide and gauze were enough to stop the bleeding and prevent infection. However, there was only so much to be done when Kagome's first-aid kit got soaked and ended up almost useless.
The others weren't as bad as him. Robin checked on Nancy, who had only a few bruises and scratches, while Eddie guarded their 'camp'. Once everyone was back on their feet, Robin approach the elephant in the room.
"That was-"
"Fucking awesome!" Eddie interrupted Robin. "You should've seen it before. She was freaking glowing. The tentacles just- BOOM. Gone. Fantasy book level of power."
"Yeah yeah, lover boy, Kagome is amazing. We all saw that. You can fangirl later. I was talking about these creepy creatures. Kagome has a handful of arrows left; there's a swarm of these bats ready to eat us; Steve can drop dead at any second. I'm almost pissing myself, to be honest."
Pacing around, Eddie almost stepped on a vine. Nancy warned him - also Robin and Kagome - about the hive mind of everything around them. The creatures, the vines, were supposedly connected to Vecna. They had to be careful to avoid attracting attention. Vecna probably knew they were in his domain, but should try staying under the radar, at least until they found a way out or to protect themselves.
Hawkins wasn't a big city, nor particularly violent. They wouldn't find loaded guns in most houses. The police department wouldn't have much more than a few pistols and rifles. There wasn't enough time for Kagome to teach them how to craft arrows and she was only one priestess against who knows how many creatures. In a one-on-one, maybe Kagome could rival Vecna. Her holy powers almost dripped from her fingers - the whole place was full of tainted energy to the point her hands glowed whenever she got close to a vine. Her priority, however, wasn't playing the hero or showing off, she just wanted to make sure they left the Upside Down and Steve got proper care.
To get out, they would need to drive away or kill the demobats that surrounded the portal on the lake. Kagome wouldn't tell them but the strain of using her power for much longer than she was used to was getting to her. Not only that but also pulling the string at a fast pace would give her blisters soon.
Discussing their options, it came as a surprise to everyone but Steve when Nancy said she had guns in her room. All this familiarity with firearms that happened in America never ceased to astonish and scare Kagome. She could deal with people armed with scythes, daggers or swords, but guns were out of her league. Robin and Eddie didn't seem too comfortable either, making Kagome feel less like an oddball. That was until the screeching and howls started again. Being armed suddenly seemed like a good idea.
Kagome wanted to smack Eddie's head as she heard him talking to Steve while they walked through the woods. For one, he still believed himself as a selfish prick that would run for the hills instead of fighting. He could have gotten away and let them deal with Vecna and the Upside Down on themselves. He didn't even have to tell the truth about Chrissy. Yet, there he was: unarmed and unprepared, but facing a possible painful death with them. Maybe it was true that he only jumped into the lake because the others did the same, but it didn't change the fact he jumped. And fought the bats. And was still with them - not hiding away. A true coward wouldn't risk their life because of silly jealousy or hurt male ego.
Secondly, he was putting ideas in Steve's head. Nancy and Steve shared near-death experiences that formed a bond that went much deeper than romantic love. There's admiration, respect, and faith that only those who fought together could have. Kagome knew because she lived it. She would jump into an abyss for Kouga, yet there was no romantic love between them. And the battlefield was no place to alight old flames anyway.
"Stop gossiping and let's go," said Kagome as she walked between the two.
"Come here, babe." Eddie grabbed her hand. "You're a woman. What do you think?"
"I think you give yourself too little credit."
"About Steve and Nancy, love. Aren't they perfect for each other?"
Steve let his permanent frown falter for a second. So typical of men to expect answers from anyone except the ones that could actually answer them. What did they expect Kagome to say? She hadn't known either of them for long enough to conclude anything but that they had a past. She heard that Nancy had a boyfriend that moved away last summer but there's no way of knowing if it caused any rift between them. Maybe she was in a happy and successful relationship but decided not to talk much about it.
"I think that's not the time or place to discuss that." She pulled Eddie along. Steve followed. Nancy and Robin were getting farther and the group shouldn't split. Robin winked at Kagome once she noticed the joined hands, much to Kagome's dismay as she didn't realize she hadn't let Eddie go. She ignored it and proceeded to follow Nancy, aware that if she let it go it would only prove Robin's point.
On the way to Wheelers' House, an earthquake served as a reminder that they had to be faster. The sounds were getting closer - a demon could attack them anytime.
"Are you sure this is Hawkins? I don't remember these trees," said Eddie. There was a sense of familiarity with the surroundings, but Kagome hadn't been living there for long enough to recognize the flora.
"Yeah, my house is just ahead. Come on," said Nancy. Eddie sent a glance to Kagome, who just shrugged in a way to say Nancy was the boss. She was the most experienced among them, there was no reason to question her leadership.
Just as predicted, Nancy's house looked exactly like it was on the other side, save for the vines and extra dust. All the lights were down - the thunder and the flashlights being the only sources of light. They rushed to Nancy's room and the girl went straight to her closet. She picked a shoebox eagerly, only to find there was merely a pair of pretty cream-colored shoes. While the thin heels could be a deadly weapon, they wouldn't be useful against Vecna's army. All their hope went down the drain. That was when Nancy figured out what happened. They were at the right place but at the wrong time. That was indeed Nancy's home, but back when Demogorgon first appeared.
Kagome wasn't paying much attention while they discussed the implications. Around them, there were voices she couldn't recognize saying things she couldn't understand. Everywhere she looked, the image shifted from the gloomy Upside Down to the bright real world. She looked through the window. There was a wooden shed she hadn't noticed before. Or maybe it wasn't there before. Had the walls always been purple? She blinked a few times. Nancy's desk looked different from moments before.
Kagome crossed the door and went down the hallway. The other rooms were locked. She walked back and found no one. She still heard them, but their voices were low and distant. There was a shrieking. Something was trying to get out of the shed outside. Then she heard Eddie calling her name - loud and clear. Giving one last glance at the shaking door, she went downstairs.
They had found a way to communicate with Justin and the others. Kagome didn't have to hear them because their figures shifted in front of her. Like ghosts, they walked through Steve, Robin and Nancy. There was a thin layer separating both worlds that only Kagome could see. At the same time, the decoration was different from what she had seen before. The carpet, the furniture, and even the drapers looked like the ones she had back home, in Japan. In the dark, the others didn't seem to notice the subtle changes in the room, too focused on listening to Dustin. Or maybe she was the only one seeing it - which was a much worse scenario.
At specific points, the two realities got mixed and interfered with each other. It happened mostly where there was a source of electricity and went both ways - the kids' voices leaked to the Upside Down and the magnetic particles interfered with lamps on the other side. To Kagome, whenever Nancy 'wrote' on the air, she saw the layer between the worlds bending under her fingers as if she was drawing on the sand. The distortion only lasted a few seconds.
"What's that?" The others noticed the shaking coming from the shed outside. Steve checked the window and saw something trying to force their way out. "What the fuck? Since when is there a shack on your patio, Nancy?"
"What are you talking about? There's only been my mother's garden forever."
"It's from my house," said Kagome. "The curtains, that drawer over there, the pictures on the walls - all of them are the same as the ones back in Japan."
"Isn't this supposed to be Wheeler's house?" said Eddie. "How is it mixing up with your place that is in a whole different country?"
"No time for that. Nancy, do you know what to do? Whatever is outside, I don't think that will be held back for much longer."
Steve was right. It took less than a minute for the faceless centipede creature to break the lock - only time enough for Dustin to tell them to head to Eddie's trailer. The monster had yet to notice their presence, so they tiptoed to the garage to get some bikes. Walking seven miles would be too risky and take too long.
They pushed the bikes hoping the thunder would cover their tracks. They looked back several times. More bats started to gather around the house, but they were far enough to go unnoticed. Once they felt safe, they hopped on and rode away.
They got to the trailer without any issues other than tired legs. Eddie gave Kagome a ride as there were only four bikes. The metalhead had strong thighs and kept up the pace with the others. Kagome had her backside hurting from the bumps on the road - she was more than happy when they arrived. The atmosphere from the Upside Down was heavy and full of something she wished was only dust. She felt sticky and dirty and hoped for a long bath as soon as possible.
The group arrived in time to see Dustin poking a hole through the tissue thing that covered the exact place where Chrissy had her final moments. The relief from both sides was palpable. It only lasted for a few seconds, though.
BAM!
Something slammed the front door. Steve opened it only enough to see a swarm of demobats and the centipede creature that came out of the wooden shed before closing it again.
BAM! SLAM!
More bats tried to force their way in. The centipede slithered around the trailer, its faceless head directed to the windows that thankfully were closed and covered with thick curtains.
The first crack in the wall made them jump. Their protection wouldn't last for much longer. Except for wardrobes that wouldn't be moved easily, there was nothing tall enough to get them to the ceiling - they had to improvise. The dinner table and a couple chairs gave them leverage to reach the portal. The kids piled a couple mattresses on the other side to soften the landing.
Robin went first. The others stabilized the makeshift platform as the attacks got stronger and the trailer was shaking. The physics between the dimensions made little sense, so it wasn't exactly astonishing when she backflipped as she leapt through the portal. Nancy went next - after much insistence from Steve. From the mindset of girls going first, it was Kagome's time to cross.
"I'm going last," she said.
"Fuck, no! Are you insane?" If he had telekinesis, Kagome was sure Eddie would tow her out whether she wanted to or not.
"I'm the strongest, I'm going last," stated Steve.
"Don't come all macho on me, you two. I still have a couple of arrows to hold the demons back."
"A couple of shoots won't make a dent in the crowd outside," said Eddie. From the other side, Nancy and Robin urged them to stop bickering.
"It's our best chance."
Steve groaned and climbed up. "Just come together if you must. You can kiss and make up later." Soon, he fell on his back while looking up expectantly at them.
Eddie grabbed Kagome's hand as he stepped on the table. "I don't trust you not doing something stupid. Either we cross together or I'm staying with you. Your choice now."
"I'm not suicidal," she said, her voice betraying the hard face she was making. His stubbornness was both infuriating and endearing.
The sound of glass shattering ended their debate. More windows seemed to have been broken in the kitchen. Kagome hopped on the table and together they reached the highest chair. There was little time to think. On the count of three, they jumped/fell on the mattress. Tailing them, several demobats came.
The group grabbed whatever they found, the pans being the first victims, and started fighting off the creatures. Kagome and Eddie rolled to their sides as a tentacle tried to grab them. Steve groaned as his wounds reopened - blood was leaking through the bandages, his breathing got heavy and he struggled to stand straight.
Kagome looked around. They had to close the portal before more demons came. "I need a pen and paper!"
Dustin threw his backpack to Kagome. There were so many things inside she just threw the contents on the floor and picked up a notebook and a pencil. Eddie got her back as she wrote down a prayer. It wasn't the right paper or ink but should be enough for now. Kagome nicked the tip of her finger, marked the paper with her blood, and then pinned it in an arrow. She stood up and aimed at the portal, trying to take as many bats as possible on the way. She concentrated, pouring her powers before pulling the string. The bow pulsed.
The demobats turned to dust as a flash hit the ceiling. Where once stood an open portal now had only an arrow pinning a piece of paper. The few demobats remaining were finished off with their makeshift weapons. They sneaked away before anyone came to check the commotion.
Things starting to follow a different path from Season 04 as we are getting to the end of the season and heading to full divergence.
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