Continued from previous chapter.
Back in the upside down, El's group were having a hard time. The Mind Flayer was throwing everything it had at everyone as they pummelled it with Molotov's and grenades. They hadn't even made a dent. El was beginning to tire as she tried her hardest to protect everyone from the things attacks. She may have grown stronger over these last few months, but there was no way anyone could prepare to fight this thing. It was on a whole other league. They had decided to use the rocket launcher as the last form of defence. To hopefully finish the thing off. They knew the heat from the explosions of Molotov's and grenades were bothering it, but they were only temporary and were beginning to run out.
"When are we using the flame thrower?!" Murray shouted as he threw another grenade, "It's going to have to be soon!"
"I don't know" Hopper answered agitated. He had underestimated the size and power of this thing and he really didn't think the bigger weapons would work at this point. He wasn't about to let his doubts show though. If the others saw his weakness they might lose hope, "Does anyone know this things weakness? You know? Other than fire?"
Joyce, who was stood next to him shook her head disheartened. She glanced around in search of anything that might help. All the kids had been ordered to attack from the side lines and to stay as far back from the thing as possible. Lucas had had the bright idea of attacking the thing with fireworks again, so had stocked up on as many as possible. Granted this form was much bigger than the one they had encountered at the mall, but they were still distracting it somewhat. That's when Joyce's eyes fell on Will. Battling with her own heart and instincts, she made a huge decision.
"Cover me!" She shouted to Hopper as she began to sprint across the field towards her son.
Hopper had no chance of stopping her and he didn't really want to be throwing projectiles at the thing whilst she was on the field either. He watched in horror as she got closer to the thing in a bid to reach her child. His hopes were regrettably in El, maybe she could keep the creatures attacks away from her. Well that was his thoughts until he saw a Molotov launch past his face. He turned in frustration towards Murray.
"What are you doing?!" He asked angrily.
"What she asked" Murray answered confused, "Covering her..."
"You might hit her!"
"I'm aiming no where near her" Murray argued, "Besides the distraction is working"
Hopper looked and saw that Murray was right. Because of the constant attacks on it, the Mind Flayer was paying little to no attention on Joyce. Hopper sighed with relief before lighting his own Molotov. Throwing it, it exploded at the monsters feet, if you could call them that.
Joyce finally reached Will completely out of breath.
"Mom?!" Will asked surprised, "Why are you here?"
"Tell me" Joyce panted, "Does this thing have any other weakness other than fire?"
"I...I don't know..." Will began to think.
"Please, there must be something you remember?"
"I'm thinking!" Will almost snapped. Suddenly an idea popped into his head, he looked directly at his mother, "I don't think it has any other weakness but, I bet it's a hell of a lot weaker on the inside"
"On the inside?"
"Yeah...If we can get someone inside of it with the flame thrower.. I bet it would die a lot quicker"
"But how the hell do we do that without the person dying?" Joyce questioned sceptically, "We don't know what would happen to them inside of that thing"
"Well its all I can think of" Will defended himself, "Well that and..."
"And?"
"We can let it into someone else's body and burn them with it..."
Joyce stared at her son horrified. But he looked back at her without a hint of regretting what he had just said.
"No one in their right mind would agree to that...frankly I doubt anyone would want to be eaten. And before you volunteer yourself, the answer is no" she thought hard for a moment as Will shrugged in response, "Where's Dustin? Didn't he have the radio?"
"Yeah, he's just over there" Will pointed towards a group of trees and Joyce saw the flashes as Fireworks left Dustin's Station exploding onto the Mind Flayer.
"Right" Joyce acknowledged, "Come with me!"
"What? Why? We need to attack this thing as a group!" Will protested as he was dragged.
"I don't trust that you won't try your plans out yourself. Your staying with me!"
"Dustin!" Joyce shouted as she reached him, "I need your radio now!"
"O...ok, take it" Dustin offered her it surprised that she was here at all.
"Thank you" She took it from his hand and began to speak into it, "Hop? Hop? Can you here me?"
"Joyce? What the hell were you doing running out into the open like that?!" Hoppers angry voice came back to her.
"It was for a good reason" Joyce defended herself, "I had to get to Will"
"What for?"
"To see if he knew of any weaknesses besides using fire!"
"Oh was that it? You could have radioed Dustin to go to Will and ask!"
"I...I didn't think of that..."
"Obviously...what did you find out?"
"He said if anyone can get inside of it, they could destroy it from the inside out with the flame thrower" Joyce wasn't going to even suggest the other idea.
"What? That's crazy..." Hopper told her shocked. Then after a slight pause, "But I honestly think it will work"
Hopper glanced at El from where he was standing. She really was struggling now. She had kept them safe for far to long, it was a miracle none of them had been hit. Even herself. She really had gotten stronger and he was proud of her. But if he wanted to spare her from further exertion, and save the others as well, he needed to act now, "I'll do it"
"No you won't!" Joyce told him, her voice crackling over the radio adding to her angry tone.
"If I don't, then there's no one else to do it!"
"We'll think of something...we have no idea what will happen to you. There's no guarantee you'll even reach it alive!"
"I have to try..."
"I'll do it" Another voice came over the radio.
"Billy?" Hopper asked for confirmation.
"Yeah" Billy answered. He had another radio from where he was stood by El keeping her safe in case any creatures turned up to attack.
"I'm not sending a kid out there!" Hopper denied him, "Besides, your looking after El for me and Max is waiting for you back home!"
"El is capable of looking after herself" Billy told him back, "If you still feel like she needs protection, send Murray over or come yourself. Max will understand, the whole town thinks I'm dead anyways and I have a score to settle with this bastard"
"Your not..."
"I'm coming for the flame thrower now, so have it ready. Or if your coming to watch over El, I'll meet you half way"
With that, his line went dead.
"Billy?" Hopper tried, "Billy answer me damn it!"
Of course he didn't get an answer back. Struggling with his own over protective emotions, he grabbed the flame thrower off of Murray and began to run towards the direction El was in. He really would have done it on his own, but he had a feeling El wouldn't have let him get that far. After a couple minutes of running, he ran into Billy.
"Thanks chief" Billy grabbed the weapon off of him. He made to run directly for the Mind Flayer, but Hopper grabbed his arm and stopped him first.
"Do you even know how to use that thing?"
"Oh err...no" Billy admitted sheepishly.
"For God's sake kid. At least know what your getting yourself into before volunteering. Here let me show you"
Hopper then proceeded to show Billy how to use it. Once done, he had to grab the male again to prevent him running straight off.
"What's your plan?" He asked.
"Get inside that thing, kill it" Billy answered surely and straight to the point.
"And how do you get inside of it without it killing you? I mean, from what we know about that thing, it absorbs its victims"
"I err...maybe it has a mouth?"
Hopper looked at the Mind Flayer as it viciously flung off attacks, each one blocked from hitting its target like some invisible force field was in the way. He watched with horror as one of its tentacle like arms or legs, what ever they were, stuck a bunch of trees right over where Joyce, Will and Dustin were stood. He quickly got onto the radio to make sure they were ok.
"Joyce, Joyce! Are you guys ok?"
Silence.
"Joyce! Answer me!"
Again there was silence.
"Damn it Joyce answer me! Please..."
"We...we're good" Joyce's shaky but alive voice sounded back to him finally, filling him with relief, "Just a few cuts and bruises on us all"
"What took you so long to answer?"
"I dropped the radio..."
"Look...just...just be careful..."
Hopper then turned to Billy who had waited somewhat patiently.
"It doesn't have a mouth. The only way your getting into that thing is by being absorbed. Which will kill you"
"I have to try..."
"That is, unless you have help" Hopper continued.
Billy looked at him suspiciously before speaking again.
"What do you have in mind?"
"I'm going to blast a hole right into the middle of that thing using this" Hopper indicated the launcher still strapped to his back. It really hadn't been a fast run over for him weighed down with these weapons, "And El is going to lift you into it. I'm sure you can do the rest from there"
"Right" Billy smirked at him in agreement, "I left my radio with her"
Hopper relayed what he had planned over the radio. There was of course protest, but in the end it was agreed with a warning from El for him not to die. They knew he wasn't going to back down, so had no choice but to let him go. And now he and Billy were running across the field as fast as they could.
El did her best to cover them. They had just set off when El heard Dart screech. He had arrived awhile ago letting them all know Eddie and the others had located Vecna. He was now stood at Els side as a look out. She shrugged it off not wanting to lose focus. Her eyes were blurring and she was in enough pain as it was, if she stopped now, she doubted she could start again. However, Dart screeched once more, louder and wouldn't stop. She had no choice but to turn towards him. Once she did, her heart dropped. Heading towards them were hundreds, if not thousands of Demobeasts and amongst them all, was Vecna.
She stared for a moment not quite believing her eyes. Once she finally came back to herself, she fumbled for the radio.
"One is here!" she shouted into it to make sure the others would definitely hear, "With his monsters!"
"What?" Everyone's voice, who had a radio, echoed over hers at various times.
"But the others were taking care of him?" Mike stated, "Are they there?"
"No"
Mike instantly felt sick with worry for his sister. Surely she wasn't dead? Surely she hadn't let Vecna kill her?
"How far are they?" Joyce asked trying to sound calm..
"Almost here"
"Everyone head back towards Murray!" Hopper demanded as he and Billy had stopped running, "I'm heading back!"
"No!" El told him, "You kill that, then One will be easier to kill. We'll take care of this!"
There was a slight pause before Hopper spoke again.
"Fine we'll carry on" Hopper told them, "But you should all still regroup. There's safety in numbers"
"Ok!" Everyone agreed.
That's when the Mind Flayer swung a leg towards Billy and Hopper as El had been temporarily distracted. Joyce screamed out in terror as she and the others watched it happen. El tried her hardest to intervene again, but she wasn't fast enough. The leg swung over where the two males were stood. They all watched with bated breath and some even closed their eyes as they waited for the dust to settle.
"Get moving!" Hopper shouted through the radios filling everyone with relief that they were ok.
Looking at the field, they all saw Hopper practically dragging Billy as they continued their run towards the huge monster. They had managed to duck narrowly missing being hit as the leg made contact with the ground right beside them. Filled with relief and new motivation, everyone did as they were told. Each began to head towards where Murray was waiting. This time the attacks were persistent, but El tried her best to hold as many back as she could, other than that, everyone had to do there best to dodge. It was like running through a rain of missiles and everyone was more worried about the others than themselves. So their relief was immense when they had all reached their destination mostly unscathed, they were even relieved to see that Dart had made it with El.
"How's Hopper and Billy doing?" Joyce asked Murray full of worry as soon as she had reached him.
"They've made it. Though their taking their time to attack!" Murray answered, "How far is this Vecna?"
"I'm right here" a gruff yet amused voice sounded from behind them making them all spin on the spot, "I decided to take my time as you all regrouped. It makes my job easier after all"
"What did you do to my sister?!" Mike shouted at him as he went to walk forward, El however stopped him.
She herself, was having her own struggles. She couldn't keep protecting them from the Mind Flayer whilst also protecting them from Vecna. It just wasn't possible. Even now the Mind Flayer was violently trying to kill Hopper and Billy. The only reason it was leaving them alone right now, was because Vecna was here with them.
"What have you done with the others?" Dustin asked now, much more calmly then he was feeling.
"They've deserted you" Vecna told them mockingly.
"What?" Lucas asked not buying his answer.
"They have went back to their own world, without you. But don't worry, they'll still join you all in death"
Mike sighed in relief that his sister was ok. Of course he didn't believe for a minute that they had left without good reason. And he also knew that Vecna hadn't killed them, if he had, he would take a lot of pleasure in telling them so.
"As will the whole of Hawkins" He smiled at them evilly, "My beasts there are making sure of that"
"What?" Lucas asked horrified as thoughts of his families safety and Max ran through his mind, "What have you done?"
"I sent them all some gifts"
"You bastard! Stop this!" Mike shouted again.
"So Eleven?" Vecna continued ignoring the boys, "I see that your still against me?"
"I'll never work with you!" El snapped at him.
"I thought you would say that" Vecna smiled slyly, "So it seems like you have to die after all"
He took a step forward but Joyce and Murray quickly stepped in the way. Without so much as a second thought, Vecna sent them both flying in opposite directions.
"Mom!" Will panicked as he quickly ran to her side to make sure she was ok, "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine..." Joyce struggled up, "Just a bit winded..."
The others had ran to help Murray as El stood her ground glaring at Vecna. She was nervous but hid it well. Being so fatigued right now, she knew she wouldn't hold out long against him. But she had to try, she had no choice. It was for her friends and families lives, as well as her own. She just hoped she was ready for when Billy needed lifting. With a smirk, Vecna sent a wave of power at her, it took all of her strength to hold it back. But much to her dismay, whilst, Vecna had her busy, he ordered his beasts to attack the others.
"Shit!" Dustin cursed as he readied his weapon, "There's to many of them!"
"Stay close together and don't break formation!" Murray ordered as Joyce and Will joined them again, "Like Hopper said, there's safety in numbers!"
Dart also readied itself. Screeching loudly, it began to throw itself at the other Demobeasts. Taking that as their war cry, everyone else began to fight for their lives.
"You can't hold me off forever Eleven" Vecna mocked the girl, "You might as well give up. Either way, you are dying today"
"Not happening" El fought back, "You are dying today. We will not let you have your way!"
"Can you not see that it is already to late? You had your chance. Its gone now. Accept it"
"No! You accept that your going to lose!"
"Your already weakening in our fight now! I'm not even using my full power! If you give up now, I'll let you die with dignity"
"I said no!" El screamed as she tried to throw even more power at Vecna which amused him greatly.
Down under the Mind Flayer, Hopper and Billy were having a hard time trying to dodge its legs whilst also taking down Demobeasts. They had managed to give themselves enough of a window to shoot a rocket at its underbelly. Billy watched as a rocket was fired by Hopper sending the man falling backwards, however it still hit exactly where he had targeted. And to Billy's surprise, it worked. It had blown a hole into the monster. He quickly looked over to El and saw that she was to preoccupied to help them right now.
"Shit!" Billy cursed frustrated as another wave of beasts ran for them. He looked up at the damage and was despaired to see that the hole was already closing up, "What do we do Hopper?"
"I don't know!" Hopper answered jjust as frustrated, "There's no point in doing it again until El can help us. But who knows how long that's going to be...duck!"
Billy turned just in time to see a leg swinging for him. He did as Hopper had said and dodged it quickly. However, the tip still caught his arm creating a horrible cut.
"Fuck!" Billy hissed, "I'm not sure how much longer we can hold out..."
Hopper reluctantly agreed as he swung a crow bar at a Demodog. Just as they were beginning to lose more hope, something caught his eye. In the distance next to where Hawkins lab was located, a portal had suddenly appeared. It was quite a large one which was unusual. Hopper swung his crowbar at another attacker as he continued to watch it. Then his eyes widened. A tank was driving through it. It was going slowly, but it was a tank all the same. This was closely followed by a car, which began to speed towards them.
"Hey guys! Are we late to the party?" Eddies amused voice rang out through the radio.
"Eddie?" Hopper asked through his own radio as if to confirm it as he continued fighting on, "What the hell? You brought a tank?"
"It was your idea!"
"I have no idea how to drive this thing!" Steve's panicked voice sounded over the radio now.
"Should we shoot rockets? How do we do that? What are all of these buttons?!" Robins panicked voice could be heard in the background of Steve's radio.
"Hey Harrington, buddy?" Eddie radioed over to him, "Instead of trying to dodge the creatures, just run them over. Your in a tank!"
"Your dodging them to!"
"I'm in a car! There not as battle ready!"
"Oh right...yeah..." Steve agreed.
"Idiot..." Nancy sighed through the radio.
"Hey guys?" Hopper spoke to them again, "Instead of arguing amongst yourselves, come and help us!"
"On the way!" Eddie answered as the car quickly reached them. Skidding round, it knocked a few Demobeasts flying with its back end. Eddie stepped out of the driving seat, "Woo!" He declared excitedly before catching sight of Hopper staring at him, "Wait, I'm not going to get a ticket for that am I?"
"Ill overlook it this time" Hopper grinned grateful that some help had arrived.
"I err, stole these radios to...but I'll return them..." Eddie admitted sheepishly.
"You better" Hooper sighed. But to be honest, he didn't really care. Eddie could have robbed a bank and gotten away with it at this point.
Nancy had stepped out of the passenger side of the car and had began to fire off shots at the creatures. Which right now, was a big help. She threw a gun to Billy and another to Hopper. Like an idiot, he had completely forgot to bring his own in his excitement of having a rocket launcher and a flame thrower.
"Steve put your foot down! You know it can go faster right?" Eddie mocked as he watched the tank slowly head towards them.
"Screw you! I can't control this thing!" Steve's shaky reply came back, "I really didn't sign up for this..."
"Do either of you two know how to work a tank?" Eddie asked Billy and Hopper.
Billy shook his head still amazed that they had even managed to get one.
"No, but I bet Murray does" Hopper answered surely.
"Is he over there with the others?" Nancy asked as she noticed Vecna had in fact arrived and that he and El were in the middle of a battle. They knew Vecna was here because before they had opened the portal to return to the upside down, Eddie had checked using his mind links. It was his way of assuring they weren't caught by surprise and were where they needed to be.
"Afraid so..."
"Right, get in the car!" Eddie ordered them as he got back into the drivers seat, "We'll take you somewhere not in the open and hand over the tank. You can explain what the hell you are doing underneath this thing as well..."
Hopper and Billy glanced at each other before coming to a mutual agreement to retreat for now. The longer they stayed here, the more likely they were to die waiting on El to be ready. Besides, if they could figure out how to use the tanks rockets, it would help greatly. So together they quickly got into the back seats whilst Nancy got back onto the passenger one. Putting his foot down, Eddie sped off towards the trees.
"Where the hell are you going now?!" Steve's annoyed voice sounded over the radio.
"Don't question it. Just follow!" Eddie laughed back in response.
"Easy for you to say!" Steve shot back. Though everyone could see that he had gained some confidence with the machine as it was moving quite a bit faster now. Either that or the threat of death from the Mind Flayer had spurred him on.
"Where did you even get a tank?" Billy asked.
"Hawkins lab" Nancy answered, "On our side"
"Why were you there?" Hopper asked surprised just as a Demogorgon bounced off of his door, smashing the window and denting it greatly. It caused the car to swerve.
"Shit! Sorry!" Eddie cursed as he managed to regain control. He was doing his best to dodge them. Sighing a little with relief, he answered, "We went for something else. We just happened to find a few tanks that had been left behind and I remember you wanted one. Luckily for us, that one had instructions inside on how to start it. Once we figured it out it started right up, and so...I hope you like it!" Eddie laughed again.
"Well its definitely coming in handy..." Hopper answered as he looked back and saw the tank running over numerous creatures.
"What were you and Billy doing?" Nancy asked now.
Quickly, Hopper explained the plan to them as Eddie reached the trees and pulled over. They all exited the car and began to fire off more bullets as they waited for Steve and Robin to join them.
"Well if it helps, there are a few rockets in the tank. One will probably be enough to open that thing up enough" Eddie told them once Hopper had finished explaining, "I err...I have an idea of how to get Billy up there without using El. But I don't think he's going to like it..."
"What is it Munson?" Billy asked as he shot a creature right between the non existent eyes.
"I could ask the Demobats to lift you..." Eddie smiled sheepishly.
"What?!"
"They do listen to me after all. Their strong, so they won't drop you. Its up to you..."
The tank finally caught up, but instead of stopping once it had reached them. It carried on rolling into the trees, causing everyone to quickly dodge out of the way in fear of being flattened. It up rooted most of the trees and snapped quite a few as well, luckily it missed the car. Eventually, it did stop.
"What the hell Harrington?! Are you trying to kill us?!" Billy fumed.
"S...sorry" Steve apologised as he appeared at the hatch, "My timing in getting these things to stop could use some work..."
He climbed out and then helped a rather nervous looking Robin out as well.
"That was horrible..." She spoke quietly.
"It was...but I'd still do it again..." Steve grinned.
"Yeah" Robin smiled back.
"So all that complaining was for nothing?" Eddie raised an eyebrow and Nancy looked just as unimpressed.
"Guys we don't have time!" Hopper interjected again, "What's the plan?"
"Erm...same plan as before?" Eddie answered thoughtfully, "Except you can use the tank and Rocket launcher at the same time. They'll blow a bigger hole in the Mind Flayer if used together giving you more time to get into it"
"Since when did you start coming up with good ideas?" Steve asked surprised.
"That's hurtful. I've had quite a few good ideas lately..." Eddie pretended to be offended before grinning. He turned to Billy, "What's your stance on the bats?"
"As long as they help me accomplish the task. I'm in" Billy answered surely.
"Good" Eddie accepted before looking up and shouting, "Hey you! Get down here!"
"What are you do..." Robin was about to ask before a massive Demobat swooped down in front of them causing her to scream a little.
"Holy shit!" Hopper gasped not expecting it. The others were also just as surprised.
Eddie relayed the plan to the bat who then flew off.
"What did it say?" Nancy asked as she watched it go.
"Their going to be under the Mind Flayer waiting for Billy to give them the signal, they will then lift him up and yeah...do what you got to do..." Eddie answered with a smile.
"Can't wait..." Billy trailed trying not to look at all nervous.
"Sooo, is that everything sorted?" Robin asked.
"Yeah. Eddie, let's go get Murray" Nancy started to give orders, "Steve, Robin, you guys show Hopper how the tank works. Go out into the field and take out as many beasts as you can until we get Murray to you. Billy you go with them"
"Looks like Nancy's in charge guys" Steve commented.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Have you got a better idea?" Nancy asked him with a raised eyebrow, not even slightly amused.
"I...it was a joke..." Steve told her sheepishly as Eddie and Robin sniggered at him.
"Right let's go!" Hopper declared as he climbed into the tank. He honestly couldn't wait. It was like all of his Christmas's had come at once today. The only thing ruining it was the fight to the death they were currently in.
Everyone listened and Nancy and Eddie sped off again as Steve and Robin began to show Hopper and Billy how the tank worked. Well, as best as they could. It wasn't long before they were rolling out onto the field themselves. A lot faster with Hopper in the driver's seat.
Meanwhile, El was continuing the fight for her life. Vecna had knocked her back quite a few times now. She hadn't even managed it once to him, but she had still managed to recover thankfully. She was in agony and she was certain she was close to passing out, but she had to push on. She had to win this.
The others were just as fatigued. Though none of them envied El, they would rather fight the consistent monsters then face Vecna. Even so, they were trying their best to defeat these things so they could go and help take the strain off of El. But it was getting more and more unlikely.
"Guys? How many...more of these...things are there?" Lucas panted as he swiped at another Demogorgon.
Honestly if it wasn't for the sharp weapons, they wouldn't have stood a chance. But even they were beginning to dull. Even Joyce and Murrays guns were beginning to run out of ammo.
"Kids shouldn't be fighting these monsters!" Dustin complained, "We should be going on bike rides, playing DnD, being tucked into bed by our mom's!"
"Really?" Mike laughed despite the situation they were in.
"It...it was figuratively" Dustin defended himself.
"Sure it was..." Will mocked him.
"Just shut up and kill these things!"
Dart, along with the other Demobeasts that Eddie controlled, were helping to keep the monsters at bay, so at least they weren't getting completely overwhelmed. However they were completely surprised when out of no where, a car swerved right in front of them knocking quite a few beasts away.
"Wh...where the hell did a car come from?" Joyce asked surprised, before they all saw who was sat in it.
"Eddie! Nancy! Your back!" Dustin shouted excitedly.
"Well we weren't just going to leave you" Nancy smiled as she got out and began to shoot, "My brother and his idiot friends are here after all"
"That being said, keep up the good work!" Eddie smiled causing the others to look confused. He then turned to Murray, "Murray get in! We need you elsewhere!"
"What for?"
"I'll explain on the way, get in!"
"O...ok" Murray obliged and got into the car.
Before Eddie got back in he glanced at Vecna. The man was to preoccupied with his battle that he hadn't noticed the arrival of the others. At least, that's how it seemed. Taking in the surroundings around Vecna, Eddie smirked to himself before looking back at Nancy and nodding. She nodded back before Eddie drove off again. The car was a little worse for wear now, but at least it still worked.
"That was short but sweet...is he just going to leave us here?" Dustin sulked a little.
"Don't worry, he'll be back. And hopefully, this will all be over" Nancy told him. She had remained behind to help.
"How so?" Joyce asked.
"I can't tell you. You'll just have to wait and see. We can't risk Vecna overhearing..."
"This is amazing!" Hopper celebrated as he sped over beasts for fun, crushing them.
"It's a little bumpy..." Steve complained as he and the others held on for dear life.
"Just try not to hit your heads!" Hopper laughed with enjoyment.
"I think that's the last of our worries..." Billy also complained.
"Hey guys! Murrays on the way" Eddie's voice came over the radio again.
Everyone looked through the little portal windows that were available, and sure enough, Eddie was speeding towards them with Murray in the passenger seat.
"Do you want me to stop?" Hopper asked as he began to slow down.
"No need, he can just hop from the car onto the tank" Eddie smirked as he glanced at Murray who's head had shot to face him.
"What?" he asked.
"It'll save time, and it's not like its going very fast anyways" Eddie defended his idea.
"Easy for you to say! Your not the one that will end up under a tank if I missed!"
"You won't miss" Eddie reassured him as he began to pull up alongside the other vehicle, "See I'm as close as I can get. Open the door"
"Why? It'll break off..."
"Just do it"
Murray did as he was told and swung the door of the car open. Immediately it was caught by the side of the tank and ripped off.
"Seriously! A little warning on the plan next time!" Murray complained as he shielded himself from any flying debris, "I told you it would do that!"
"Now you have nothing in your way" Eddie smiled at him, "Now get going!"
"Fucking kids thinking we're all part of an action movie..." Murray began to mumble to himself as he shakenly but still bravely began to balance himself on the now ripped open door frame. He stood as straight as he could to try and get his bearings. If a beast happened to get in the way right now, he'd be dead, "I'm going to need a shit tonne of vodka after this..." He mumbled again before shouting to Eddie again, "A little closer!"
Eddie obliged and got the car as close as he possibly could. Murray was honestly happy that they weren't travelling at to much speed right now, he had to get the courage to actually jump.
"You better hope I know how to work this thing!" Murray pointed out to Eddie as he readied himself, trying not to think about the dangers.
As Eddie had said, he had told Murray why they needed him. And as everyone suspected, the man had some knowledge of tanks. But he had warned Eddie that that, still didn't mean he could work what they wanted. After taking a huge steadying breath, he closed his eyes and jumped. Thankfully he landed on the front of the tank and with some very shaky steps he made it to the open hatch.
"See! I told you that you'd make it over!" Eddie laughed loudly, "Though closing your eyes wasn't the smartest idea!"
Murray watched as Eddie drove away before climbing into the tank relieved.
"This plan of yours better work" He sighed as he saw Hopper, "That was intense..."
El had reached the end of her strength. She was currently lifted off of the ground whilst Vecna slowly began choking her. He wore an evil grin and he knew he had won.
"All you and your friends succeeded in doing, was prolonging the inevitable" he told her mockingly, "And once I'm done with you. I'm going to slowly torture and kill all of them as well"
"No!" El choked out as she desperately tried to fight back. She tried to use her powers against him, but they were weakened tremendously. This only caused Vecna greater amusement as her neck squeezed a little tighter.
"El!" Mike tried desperately to reach her, to help in some way. But the beasts were being relentless. There wasn't a single person that wasn't now injured in some way.
"What are we going to do?" Dustin asked exhausted, he and everyone else were beginning to lose hope. "She's going to die if we don't help her, yet we're going to die if these things don't stop soon..."
"Just keep going!" Nancy commanded as she fired shot after shot. Even her extremely over packed arsenal was beginning to run out, "We need a little longer!"
"What for?" Joyce panted.
"Just trust me. El hold on!" Nancy shouted hoping that the girl had enough willingness to live. She glanced around longingly before mumbling quietly, "Just...hold on..."
"You know" Vecna continued, "I'm getting bored of your squirming now. What do you say we make it a little more interesting? I bet seeing you in pain will amuse me greatly"
He began to slowly twist her ankle round causing El to gasp in pain. It wasn't quite enough pain to scream about yet, but it was getting there. Vecna's evil smile began to spread wider as he saw it getting harder for her to hold them back. That was, until he suddenly felt a sharp stabbing pain in the back of his neck causing him to let El drop to the floor gasping for air.
"Miss me?" Eddie's mocking tone sounded from behind him.
"What are you doing Edward?" Vecna asked angrily.
"Just giving you a little gift"
Suddenly all of the Demobeasts that were under Vecna's control ceased attacking. Each one was stood shaking their heads as if something was interfering with them in some way. Dustin, Joyce and the others watched them surprised before turning to see what had happened. Their eyes widened to see that Eddie was stood behind Vecna, one hand digging into the man's shoulder whilst a finger on the other had pierced deeply into the back of Vecna's neck.
Glancing around and noticing the Demobeasts reactions, Eddie smiled to himself satisfied before quickly pulling away.
"Looks like it works, thank god for that!" He commented, "You know Vecna, if you weren't so caught up on torturing El, you would have seen that coming"
"What the hell did you do to me?!" Vecna demanded to know angrily as he grasped at the back of his neck that had already began to heal.
"Just gave you a little disadvantage" Eddie shrugged, courtesy of El of course. If she hadn't of mentioned it, I'd have never have thought to try it"
"What are you talking about?!" Vecna fumed as he lifted up his hand ready to attack him.
Eddie didn't even flinch as he watched the man amused. It was soon clear why, when everyone saw Vecna's anger turn from anger to confusion and then to dismay.
"Y...you didn't?" he almost whispered as he looked at his hand, "What did you do?!" He now shouted as he began to furiously rip at the back of his neck.
El stumbled to her feet looking at him confused. She then looked at Eddie.
"Soteria?" she asked him.
"Yep" Eddie smiled at her, "Thankfully, there were a few still in the lab in Hawkins...its almost like they were left there on purpose. Though they took some finding..."
"What's that?" Joyce asked as they all wearily walked over to them.
"It's a device that's blocks powers" El explained as she straightened herself out.
"She told me about it a couple of months ago, but until just recently, I forgot about it" Eddie explained, "Me, Nancy, Steve and Robin all went back to our Hawkins hoping there might have been one left behind. Luckily there was. And thankfully Veccy here was far to absorbed in killing El to notice my portal open behind him. It was actually quite easy to stick it in his neck"
"None of you have won!" Vecna growled as he regained composure, "You will still all still lose"
"Doesn't seem likely" Eddie mocked him.
"You will die either way..."
"Yeah yeah" Eddie pretended to yawn, "New story please..."
"Without your flashy powers, your nothing more than a pathetic man" Nancy told him disdainfully.
"Is that so?" Vecna grinned. Without warning, he began to tear chunks away from his neck as he desperately began to look for the small device Eddie had put in him.
"Shit that's not good" Dustin began to panic.
"Don't let him get it out!" Eddie told them all his eyes widening.
Nancy grabbed a shot gun and began firing it at the man. However it didn't slow him down. If anything the wounds were quickly healing. El tried as well, but she was still weakened greatly.
"Dart?!" Eddie called to the creature that was stood nearby, "You and the others start killing all of Vecna's beasts. We want as many dead as possible in case he regains control"
The creatures quickly got to work.
"As long as that thing over there is still standing, he'll keep healing" Will warned them as he pointed at the Mind Flayer, "How is that not affected by the device to?"
"Fuck..." Eddie hissed as he flung himself at the man and wrestled him to the ground in an attempt to stop him from clawing at his neck, "Your deranged! Just except defeat!"
The others watched on not knowing what to do as Joyce kept El steady on her feet. She was telling the girl to stay out of it and regain as much strength as she could just in case it was needed.
"Have you figured it out yet?" Steve asked Murray who had been desperately trying to figure out how to work the turret on the tank.
"I think I've got it!" Murray declared excitedly down Steve's ear.
"Th...that's great..." Steve accepted as he slapped at his ear to stop the ringing. It was already loud enough in here with all the machinery, they didn't need the shouting as well. He turned and made his way over to Hopper and Billy, "He's ready" he told them.
"Great" Hopper nodded before turning to Billy, "You ready?"
"As I'll ever be" Billy answered readily.
Hopper drove the tank so that they were back under the Mind Flayer. The other Demobeasts had stopped attacking for now, they didn't know why, they didn't care. Though they still had to dodge the Mind Flayers attacks. Once underneath, Hopper and Billy got out. Readying their weapons they waited for Murray to declare that he was ready to. Once he was, Hopper readied himself with the rocket launcher, he wasn't going to be sent falling backwards this time.
"As soon as that holes blown, go" He told Billy. Then down the radio to Murray he counted, "One...Two...fire!"
On the count of three the tank and launcher were fired in surprising unison. The resulting impact was massive. Quickly taking advantage of the situation, Billy prepared himself as he shouted to the bats that were awaiting for him to be ready, that he was now in fact, ready. Five of them flew down and easily lifted him off of the ground with their tails. Flying quickly, Billy was inside of the creature faster than he could have prepared himself for. The whole thing was made up of particles, not flesh. It was surprisingly hollow. There was no smell, no blood, no organs, nothing. Not wanting to dwell to long on his surprise as the particles were beginning to close in on him to attack. He fired up the flame thrower.
Back at El's group, Eddie was still struggling with Vecna on the floor. It was difficult as the monster was stronger than he looked. Just as he was about to claw at Eddies throat, a noise so loud and so terrifying, travelled through the air and shook the ground. Everyone covered their ears in pain. Whilst Eddie had to clasp his as tight as he could with his hands, and even that didn't do him much good as the noise continued. Everyone looked around for the source of the horrible screech and it wasn't long before they saw the culprit. The Mind Flayer was waving around widely as spouts of flame sprang from it. The flame travelled all the way through it and spread further over its outer surface. Eventually, the entire thing was engulfed.
"Nooo!" Vecna raged as he watched his beloved creation begin to burn up in front of him.
"Wow.. I didn't realise a flame thrower would have that much power..." Joyce commented stunned.
"I knew it would do some damage, but this is so much better than I was expecting" Will grinned.
"Oh yeah..." Dustin joined in as he and the others watched it burn. Its screeches continuing to rattle the floor.
Vecna had had enough of watching. He jabbed his sharp nails deep into Eddie's abdomen causing the male to gasp with the pain and surprise. Using the distraction, he shoved Eddie off of him and dug his nails into the now wounded Eddie's throat. Vecna knew that it was useless to try and choke him, but he could still rip his throat out and watch him die that way.
"I'll make you pay for doing this to me!" Vecna growled at him, "I am done with holding back! Now die!"
Before he could finish his task however, he was suddenly thrown to side. He crashed into a tree trunk before crumpling to the ground. Eddie grasped at his throat as he looked towards El who was stood nearby fiercely glaring at Vecna.
"Th...thanks" Eddie choked out, his throat hurting a little more than he would have liked.
"Your welcome" El acknowledged, not taking her eyes off of the enemy.
"Hey! Are you ok Eddie?" Dustin asked as he was quickly at his friends side, "I thought you were a goner there!"
"I'm fine" Eddie smiled at him. Though he had noticed that his healing process had slowed down considerably. He had a feeling as to why, but he didn't mention either.
The others joined them and soon everyone, including El, were looking down at the pitiful man that was once the feared Vecna. The man that had caused so much trouble over the years, so many deaths, so much destruction, as he lay winded on the ground.
"Sooo, should we kill him now?" Dustin asked uncertain.
"Can I do the honours?" Joyce asked as she rolled up her sleeves prepared.
"Go ahead" Vecna laughed up at them all.
"What's so funny?" Nancy asked with disgust.
"Just know" Vecna spat out, "That whoever kills me, kills Edward as well..."
Everyone paused for a second as they glanced around at each other uncomfortably. Nobody wanted to be the reason for Eddies second death. Noticing this, Eddie rolled his eyes.
"I thought you were prepared for this El?" he sighed, "Fine...I'll do it..."
"Think about this Edward" Vecna tried to hide his panic, "You don't want this..."
"Who doesn't?" Eddie half laughed as he grinned down at the man, "After everything you did to me...this will be a pleasure. I can die happy knowing I got to kill you"
Just then, a final ground shaking screech filled the air, and they all looked towards the Flayer as it fell to the ground and began to burn into nothingness. It was clear it had died and the relief that washed over everyone with the realisation, was immense.
"I hope Hopper and the others are ok..."Joyce commented quietly as she stared at it.
"Their fine" Eddie reassured her, "I can see them all getting into the tank as we speak. Billy's a little frazzled though..." He then spoke to Vecna again, "Looks like your last line of defence has been taken down. Not so big on the tough talk now are you?...W...where did he go?"
When he had turned to face the enemy again, he had noticed the man had vanished.
"Shit!" He cursed as everyone began looking around with panic. His ears suddenly picked up on a slight noise and he span towards it just in time, "Mike watch out!"
Vecna had snuck up on Mike and had grabbed at the boys neck before he had had chance to react to Eddies warning. Vecna was a second away from slicing the boys throat but El acted quicker. With no warning, Vecnas own neck twisted to and unnatural angle.
"W...what the?..." Dustin and the others watched confused as Mike quickly pulled out of the now weakened grip just in time to see Vecna fall to the ground.
"D...did you do that El?" Mike asked as he looked over to her. She was stood wobbling on the spot, a little light headed, but she nodded.
"Is he dead?" Lucas asked now as he watched for any movements from the body.
"He...he is" Will confirmed, "I can't feel his hold anymore..."
Suddenly the whole ground began to shake and creatures began to run wild around them with panic. Some had began to die off. Even Dart ran off, never to be seen again leaving Dustin slightly upset. However, they had bigger things to worry about. Like getting out of here. But that's when greater realisation set in.
"Eddie!" Dustin shouted as he turned to his friend who had went eerily quiet.
Eddie smiled weakly up at him from where he had slumped to the ground and leant himself against a tree trunk. His eyes were flickering between half open, and closed. What could only be described as black liquid, was leaking from his nose and mouth.
"D...don't worry about me...you.. you all need...to get out...of here" he breathed heavily as he struggled to catch his breath. Which was strange, considering his situation.
Nobody listened however as they all crowded around him.
"We're not leaving you here! We'll get you to a hospital in our world. They'll be able to help you!" Dustin told him tearfully, "Just please, don't do this to me again!"
"You...you knew this...was coming. I can't...be helped. Please...just leave me...and save...yourselves"
"Come on" Lucas told him as he tried to drag him to his feet with Mikes help, "We're not leaving you here!"
This only caused Eddie even more pain as he tried to hold in his groans. Fighting back as best as he could, he managed to break out of their grasps and slumped to the floor again.
"Stop...I'm...not going anywhere!"
The red lightning had began to grow wilder overhead. The clouds were beginning to spin and trees and distant buildings were beginning to fall. Steve, Hopper, Billy, Murray and Robin all arrived on foot now. Having left the tank a few metres behind.
"What the hell is going on with this place?" Steve yelled as a close by tree fell over, the others looked just as concerned.
"Vecna's dead" Joyce told them quietly.
"That's great!" Hopper declared missing her quiet tone and where her eyes were fixed, "So why aren't we all celebrating? Let's get the hell out of here and have a party!"
"Wait...what's wrong?" Robin asked as she picked up on the atmosphere.
"Eddies dying" Billy told them all, having being the only one to spot the problem straight away.
"Shit...what?!" Steve's eyes widened as he remembered the consequences of killing Vecna.
He and Robin pushed to Eddies side.
"Hey guys!" Eddie smiled at them, "Good...job on your...task..."
"Never mind that!" Steve brushed his praise off, "We need to get you somewhere we can get you help!"
"We...we need a portal" Robin realised, "Who can open one? I know it's selfish to ask Eddie, but can you still open one? The sooner we get you through the better!"
"I'm...not going anywhere..." Eddie answered as he fought to keep his eyes open, "But I can open a portal...you'll...just have to...go through...quickly..."
"But not without you..." Dustin told him quietly.
Eddie didn't listen. He knew he didn't have a lot of time left and his hearing and eyesight were beginning to fail him. The collapse of the upside down was gaining speed every minute, he needed them gone now. He weakly lifted up the hand that Dustin was clung to, and thankfully quite a large portal appeared, though it began shrinking almost as quickly as it had opened.
"Go!" He told them.
Again nobody listened, and this time Nancy was by his side. Tearfully she took his free hand and he looked at her confused.
"You have to come with us" She told him quietly, "You have a baby to meet"
Everyone looked at each other with wide eyes and surprise, except for Steve and Robin. But nobody, not even Mike, said a thing.
"I'd like...nothing more" Eddie told her sadly with a bitter smile, "I've never...imagined...a child of...mine...running around...I bet it would be...amazing. But I...I can't..."
"But..."
"I...I know Steve will...be there...for you..."
"I will" Steve confirmed as he held back his own tears, "That's already a given"
"And aunt Robin will be to" Robin added sadly as tears rolled down her face.
"And they'll...have their aunt...Robin as well" Eddie repeated with a laugh.
"And I'll help anyway I can" Joyce added from where she stood.
"So will I" Hopper squeezed Joyce's shoulder to show support.
"And me, Dustin, Will and Lucas will all teach them how to play Dungeons and Dragons" Mike offered as a tear rolled down his cheek. Of course the news was a shock to him, but he was willing to support his sister no matter what.
"Make...sure you...do!" Eddie laughed causing himself pain and cursing himself for the effort. He spoke to Nancy again, "See...your not...on your own"
"I guess not" Nancy accepted before adding, "But I still want it to know its father"
"It will...I'm sure...You will all tell it about me...and I'm sure...Steve will tell it some...Great stories" Eddie grinned at the male.
"You can count on it!" Steve grinned back.
"Just promise...me...one thing. That you'll...let my uncle...be part of...it's life?..."
"I'll do you one better" Nancy told him, "I'll give the baby your last name"
"Really?" Eddie asked surprised and Nancy nodded, "Thank you..."
Just then a large tree was struck by a rouge lightning strike and toppled over missing the group by inches. As this pulled everyone's attention towards it they all finally saw that the portal was close to closing for good.
"Shit!" Hopper cursed, "Grab him! We can still take him back with us..."
"Moving him causes him to much pain..." Dustin denied him tearfully, "You guys go. I'll stay here with him. I'm not leaving him on his own again!"
"No..." Eddie tried to fight back as he finally caved in and closed his eyes, "L...leave...Please don't die here...with me..."
"We're not leaving you here Dustin" Steve told him sternly, "We're all grieving here, but right now we need to get all of us out of here"
"No!" Dustin argued, "I'm staying with him!"
Everyone noticed the portal getting increasingly smaller, soon no one would be able to fit through it. Yet no one wanted to make the first move. Soon everyone was arguing over what the best thing to do was. Dustin was clinging to Eddie refusing to leave him and let him die alone.
"He's already dead!" Billy stepped in now, "If you'd all pay attention for a few seconds...he's already gone..."
"What?" Dustin asked confused before looking at his friend again.
He was still, his eyes closed. He wasn't speaking, and his chest wasn't rising all falling with the tell tale signs of breathing. Even though he didn't have to breath in his current state, he still did it out of reflex.
"Eddie?" Dustin shook him a little, he got no response.
He tried again, and again he got no response. He began to shake him a little more vigorously as he cried out his name. Everyone watched heartbroken at the scene. Nobody knowing what to do.
"For God sakes guys!" Billy sighed agitated, "He used his last bit of strength to get you all home and your wasting it!"
Without warning he walked over to Dustin and grabbed him roughly. Pulling the screaming and protesting child away from Eddies body, he began to drag him towards the portal.
"What are you doing?" Steve asked angrily at Dustin's treatment.
"Getting us both home before we all get stuck here and doomed to die. Eddie didn't want that, did he?"
What he wasn't telling everyone was that Eddie himself, had asked him to do this. Eddie had known that Dustin wouldn't except his death and it would be difficult to get him to go home. He also knew that the others wouldn't do what was necessary and drag him home, which is why he had asked Billy to do it. He knew Billy would be able to be the bad guy, but truth be told, Billy was upset to. Yeah he had the strength to do what Eddie had requested, but whether he wanted to admit it or not, he and Eddie had become friends over the past three months. He was about one of the only people he could have actually called a friend, and now he was gone.
"If you have any sense, get a move on and follow us..." Billy finished as he promptly disappeared through what was left of the portal with a still protesting Dustin.
"He's right" Hopper told them all after a small pause, "Mike, Lucas, Will, get going. See if you can calm Dustin down. Tell him I'm bringing Eddies body back"
"You are?" Mike asked.
"Well, since he's no longer with us...It's not going to hurt him anymore" Hopper answered sympathetically, "It's only right that he gets a proper burial. He sacrificed a lot for us to finally take Vecna down...I'm not leaving him here"
"O...ok" Mike accepted readily. So himself, Lucas and Will all listened to Hopper and ran through the portal to tell Dustin that Eddie wasn't being left behind after all.
Joyce then helped walk the upset Nancy through the portal and Steve supported Robin. All were glad that their friend was at least still going to make it home, it would give his uncle some closure as well as themselves.
"Do you need help?" Murray asked Hopper as he made his way towards Eddies body.
"Nah" Hopper declined, "He should be light enough on my back. Just take El and get her out of here"
El, who up until now had been watching everything quietly, quickly moved to stand in Hoppers way.
"Leave him" She told him.
"W...what?" Hopper asked taken aback.
"I said leave him" El repeated herself, "There's no time. The portal is about to close. You won't reach it on time"
"Just move and I can grab him!" Hopper told her still surprised. He had no idea why she was acting this way"
"I can save him..."
"What?!"
"I can save him. Now leave"
"Don't be stupid...he's gone..."
"It's about to close, please leave!" El demanded once more, "I can save him like I saved Max"
"W...what? El you can't. He's already dead..."
"So was Max. Please, let me try"
"We need to leave..."
"Not yet...sorry" El held up her hand and sent out a wave of power towards the two men.
Both Murray and Hopper were sent flying backwards. They each flew through the portal to the other side much to everyone else's surprise. As soon as they landed, the portal abruptly closed.
"Damn it El!" Hopper cursed as he shot to his feet and ran to where the portal had been, "No more Eggo's for you!" He then added quietly to himself, "Please come back safe..."
"W...where is she?" Mike asked as he reached Hoppers side full of concern
"She...she's still there..." Hopper told him full of frustration.
"What? Why?" Joyce now asked alarmed. Everyone else were now equally as alarmed as they stood by with bated breath to await his answer. Even Dustin couldn't believe his ears.
"Because...because she thinks she can save him..." Hopper now admitted with a huge sigh as he turned to face them all, the upset, anger and worry could all be seen clearly on his face.
"What makes her think that?" Dustin asked trying not to get his hopes up or sound to eager. He knew there was very little chance and as much as he wanted Eddie back, El was still alive. The longer she was in that place, the more danger he would be in. It was falling apart after all. Also, would she even be able to open a portal for herself to get back? That concern he kept to himself not wanting to upset Hopper further. However, the thought still got out. It was just Mike who voiced it.
"How is she going to get back?" He asked worried.
"Fuck!" Hopper growled as the thought sank in, "Damn it El! I hope you know what your doing!" He began to pace back and forth.
"She was the first to open a portal" Joyce tried to reassure him, "I'm sure she can do it again. She knows she'll have to"
"But she hasn't done it since" Hopper snapped as he sat down and stared at the spot the portal had vanished. He then added more calmly, "Plus she was exhausted...she might be to tired to even try"
Everyone remained quiet at the prospect of losing another friend in such a way. Deep down they knew he was right. And there was nothing any of them could do about it. Joyce sat down next to Hopper and linked her arm through his comfortingly as she to watched the spot the portal had been.
"I'll sit here with you as long as it takes" She told him with a small smile
"Thank you" he accepted gratefully.
Not knowing what else to do, the others stood by and took in their surroundings. As they were still in the vicinity of Hawkins lab, they couldn't see much damage. That would come once they got into town they were sure. No matter how selfish it felt, each of them hoped that their families were safe. Of course they hoped everyone had gotten out of this alive, but they also knew the chances of that was extremely low.
"I know we've won and everything...but does anyone else feel completely hopeless right now?" Robin finally asked not being able to take the silence anymore and voicing how she felt.
"Yep" Steve agreed bitterly, "But that might change when El gets back..."
"And Eddie" Dustin added on, failing to hide his hopefulness.
"I...I really wouldn't get your hopes up on that buddy" Steve told him sympathetically.
"I know..." Dustin agreed as more tears rolled down his cheeks. Steve sat down beside him and placed an arm around him comfortingly.
"You guys might as well get going" Hopper suddenly told them all, "I can wait here. You all need to go and get your wounds checked and see how your families are..."
"No way" Everyone declined immediately, "We're waiting right here with you"
"There's no need. We have no idea how long we're going to be waiting after all"
"Well we might as well get comfy then" Mike told him as he sat down beside him.
"Yeah. Though I really wish we had some snacks..." Murray added as he to sat down. Joyce threw her rucksack at him and he was surprised to see there was still some food in it, "Thanks!"
"Trust Murray" Nancy smiled weakly as she sat down next to Steve and Dustin.
Soon everyone had sat and each were somewhat silent as they waited and hoped that El would soon come back. After around fifteen minutes, shouts could be heard heading towards them. Everyone sat up right and listened intently.
"Is...is that Erica?" Lucas asked puzzled.
"It sounds like her..." Steve agreed.
"Isn't she supposed to be looking after Max?" Will asked.
"There's two voices..." Nancy told them as a sudden thought struck her, "You don't think?..."
"That Erica has brought Max all the way out here?" Lucas finished, "I hope not!"
They all got to their feet as they began to shout back to give their location away.
"Over here!"
"This way!"
Eventually Erica appeared out of the trees. Her face beamed with happiness when she saw them all.
"You guys did it, didn't you?!"
"Yeah" Lucas confirmed, "Your supposed to be looking after Max!"
"Seriously? You just saved the world and I'm your first thought?" A familiar voice interjected from behind his sister.
Everyone stared in a amazement as Max stepped out of the trees as well. Her eyes had returned back to normal. She could see again!"
"Max! You can see!" Lucas pointed out overjoyed. He quickly pulled her into a hug before she even knew what was happening.
"Well if not, I did an amazing job of getting here" She half laughed as she accepted it. Pulling away she greeted everyone else as well before her eyes fell on Billy.
"Max..." He greeted her almost shyly.
"Billy..." Max stared at him overwhelmed with all kinds of emotions. She slowly walked over to him but once she had reached him, she didn't know what to do. Instead, they stared at each other awkwardly.
"For God's sake! Just give each other a hug or something!" Murray told them fed up with their standoffish attitude to each other. He could clearly see that was what they wanted.
Giving in, Billy pulled Max into a hug and she accepted gratefully.
"I'm glad your safe" Billy told her.
"Ditto" Max agreed with a smile.
"Hey guys?" Erica suddenly spoke again, "Where's El and Eddie?"
She sensed she had made some kind of mistake as the atmosphere dropped again.
"W...where are they?" Max now asked as she looked around confused, "What happened? Are they safe?"
"Erm...Well..." Steve tried to answer, but he didn't know what to say. The others were equally as lost for an explanation. They didn't want to dampen Max's new found happiness.
"Eddie died and El stayed behind to try and bring him back" Hopper told her not sugar coating it. He didn't see the point, she might as well know what was really happening, "We're waiting to see if El manages to get back"
"Oh..." Max looked upset for a second but it quickly vanished. She smiled and sat down on the ground, "I guess I'll wait to then"
"Wait...your ok with that?" Robin asked confused.
"Yeah" Max confirmed, "Though I'm waiting for Eddie to. If El says she's going to bring him back, she will. She brought me back after all"
Everyone smiled to themselves. It was nice to have a fresh perspective on things and it filled them all with hope again. They were slowly losing it the longer time went on. They were beginning to think that the upside down was already completely destroyed and it was to late. But Max was right. El didn't give up easily. They all sat down again.
"So what damage has been done to the town?" Nancy asked.
So together, Erica and Max explained what was happening now and what had been happening. They told them that at first there had been a massive earthquake and when Erica had looked out of the window, the sky was glowing red. After a couple of minutes, screaming could be heard, then gun shots. Before long, cars were driving wildly out of town or crashing as Demo beasts began rampaging the streets. Not long after that the house they were in had been surrounded by Demo creatures as well. Only, they weren't attacking them. They were attacking any other Demo beasts that dared get close. Obviously they couldn't leave the house and after what seemed like hours all the attacking Demo creatures had stopped, they were shaking their heads or acting strangely. Then after a few minutes, they simply died. Suddenly, the ones protecting the house died off to. When the first ones had died off, Max's sight had slowly started coming back. Not knowing how or why, but excited to finally be able to see again, the two girls decided to leave the house to investigate. Of course, they had an idea what had happened, but they wanted to confirm it. Knowing that the Mind Flayer was at Hawkins lab in the upside down, they had decided to head that way in hopes their friends would pop up some where around there. Luckily, they had been right.
"The big cracks through town are completely open again" Erica explained, "Though there not active anymore"
"There's damage everywhere...unfortunately, there has been quite a few casualties" Max added solemnly, "But thanks to Eddies beasts, there's not near as many as there would have been"
"I hope there aren't as many deaths as your suggesting" Nancy spoke after a moment, "As horrible as it sounds, hopefully some of what you saw are just injuries"
"Hopefully" Max added positively.
"What's taking so long?" They heard Hopper mumble sadly. He hadn't expected everyone to over hear him.
"Give it some more time" Joyce offered.
"How much more time does she need? M...maybe...she's gone to..." Hopper visibly deflated.
"Don't talk like that!" Joyce scolded him, "She'll be back!"
"It's been nearly an hour..."
"There's still time..."
"Guys look!" Dustin suddenly interrupted them as he pointed behind them.
Everyone turned and instantly filled with hope and anticipation as a small portal suddenly appeared. Instantly and out of instinct, everyone got onto their feet and waited with bated breath. The portal slowly grew in size. It took some time, but eventually it was big enough for someone to walk through it. Nobody said a word, the tension was to high. Finally a figure appeared. They couldn't see clearly, but it looked like the figure was carrying something or rather someone as they slowly limped towards the opening. Much to everyone's pure happiness, Eddie appeared carrying El bridal style as the portal quickly closed behind them. But before anyone could say anything, Eddie spoke first.
"Someone might want to catch her..." He told them sounding extremely pained, "No really, my legs are about to give out..."
Just like he had said, his legs were beginning to buckle as his full strength hadn't returned yet. And before he knew it, Hopper had taken El from his arms and Steve and Dustin were at his side holding him up.
"Y...your alive!" Dustin told him with disbelief. His smile spread widely across his face.
"Yeah..." Eddie tried to smile back as a coughing fit took over. Managing to catch his breath again, he spoke sarcastically, "It feels great..."
"I'm sure it'll soon pass" Steve laughed as he helped his friend sit on the floor.
"You have just come back from the dead again" Dustin added with his own laugh.
"The black gunk that came out of me when I woke up definitely hasn't helped" Eddie laughed before smiling as he looked over at El. She was currently being hugged tightly by Hopper. Nobody else had had chance to greet her yet, "It's all thanks to her. She's amazing. Even completely exhausted, she never gave up. To me, it was literally like I blinked. I didn't even know I'd died again. When I opened my eyes, she was practically unconscious as she hovered over me"
"Your teeth are normal" Robin commented from where she crouched nearby, "As are your eyes and nails..."
"Yeah, I'm one hundred percent human again" Eddie told her proudly, "Thank god. No more blood drinking for me...Though I now have a craving for a giant cheeseburger...and a beer"
"Wait...so if your human again, how did you get back?" Steve asked surprised.
"That was El again. She literally used the last of her strength to open a portal. It took her a few tries, but she did it. Her legs gave out so I had to pick her up and bring her here before it closed again, just as well really, that place is almost completely destroyed now...I hope Dart is alright... Anyways, I'm honestly surprised she's still awake"
"She really is amazing" Hopper praised his daughter as she smiled up at him weakly.
"I'm sorry I scared you like that dad" El apologised quietly, "But I told you I could do it..."
"I'm sorry I ever doubted you" Hopper accepted as a few tears of happiness escaped him.
Finally having enough of being held back, everyone pounced on Eddie and El. All welcoming them back and giving them hugs and handshakes. Max was exceptionally grateful to see them both and they were completely happy to see that her eyesight had returned.
When Nancy got to Eddie she hugged him tightly and he took the opportunity to tease her a little.
"So since I'm still alive, does that mean I still get the pleasure of taking you and our baby to the schools dance then? Or did you just ask because you believed I was going to stay dead?"
"Really?" Nancy pulled away and raised an eyebrow at him, a smirk playing at her lips, "But now that you mention it, I did just ask because I thought you were going to die..."
"Ouch" Eddie laughed.
"Of course you can still take us to the dance, idiot" Nancy laughed as well.
"Hear that Steve" Eddie teased him now, "You have competition"
"There's no competition, she just feels sorry for you" Steve teased back.
"Come on everyone" Hopper interrupted them all as he got to his feet. He was giving El a piggy back which was easier for them both, "Let's get back to town. You all need to check on your families and I'm sure their all worried about you to. Also, we should all probably get treated for our wounds somewhere. I'm going to have a nightmare explaining all of this down at the station..."
"What are we going to say about all of this?" Joyce asked, "I mean, Billy is confirmed dead, now he's back. Eddie is presumed dead. I'm no genius, but the town is already gunning for him. What are they all going to think when he turns up on the same day all of this happened?"
"Shit..." Eddie cursed as he stopped in his tracks. Steve and Dustin had helped him up and were slowly helping him walk towards town with the others, "She's right..."
"Don't worry about that" Hopper reassured him, "I'll make sure everyone knows your innocent..."
"And I'm sure that with my connections and skills, I can pin all of this on the lab somehow. Just give me a week" Murray told them confidently.
"Thanks" Eddie accepted gratefully as he started walking again.
Everyone was relieved that all of this was finally over. They could all finally go back to having a normal life.
It had been a year since the events that took place and life in Hawkins had returned to as close to normal as it could. The town was close to repaired and even some old residents that had left were now returning. Just like Murray had said he had managed to twist the truth about what had happened. Everyone in town now believed that the lab had still been in use secretly and a bunch of mutated creatures had escaped due to a chemical explosion. No one would rest until the lab had been destroyed after that, and so it was now nothing but an empty plot of land left to be grown over. The whole Billy situation was explained as a case of mistaken identity. The excuse for Billy's real whereabouts was that he had skipped town to travel. Basically he was a runaway. A poor excuse but Billy strengthened it by saying it was a way of getting away from his dad. As of now he lived with Max and her mother, helping out around the new house and keeping his father away before he could ruin their lives again. Hopper and Joyce were stronger than ever. They still lived together, along with Will who was now thriving after the upside downs hold on him had been broken, and El, who was also thriving in her new environment. She hadn't had to use her powers at all in the past year and she had made many new friends at school. Though she still preferred to hang out with Max, Lucus, Will and Dustin. Her and Mike's relationship was still going strong and as of now, no government officials had come looking for her. She didn't know why, but she didn't care, she was finally happy. Jonathan would also visit from time to time. He was still at College with Argyl and he had made new friends, he had even gotten himself a new girlfriend. Of course he had been slightly upset to learn about Nancy, but by the time he had left for college for good, they had made peace. It was also a pleasure for the others that he no longer had a herby aroma around him. Steve and Robin still worked at the video store though now, they were both in the community college together as well. Steve had decided that he needed to better his life and so had applied. He was ecstatic when he was accepted. And Robin was still longing after Vickie, she still hadn't had the confidence to confess to her. Dustin, Lucas, Mike and Will were as close as ever before. They would always make time for each other around their other priorities. Max and El never minded though, it was a great excuse for them to hang out as well. Though on occasion, they would join the boys for a game of DnD, even if they didn't fully understand it. In fact, that is what they were currently all doing. They were all sat in Eddies house that he now shared with his Uncle instead of a trailer. It had been a weird adjustment for them both, but now they loved it. Hopper had cleared Eddie's name by telling everyone that he had caught the real culprit behind Chrissy's and the others deaths. He had also told them that the culprit had died in the events of a year ago. It had took some time, but now Eddie was a free man and had been accepted again. Joining them all in the game of DnD, was some of Eddies old school friends and Erica. There was also another new recruit. Olivia Barbara Munson, six months old and babbling away as she sat on Eddies lap as he led the game. She had characteristics from both of her parents, such as her dark hair from her father and her eyes from her mother. Eddie had stuck to his word and he looked after his daughter whilst her mother Nancy went to College for the day. When Nancy had her, Eddie would go to his part time job that he had gotten, or some gigs to help support her. He, alongside Billy, had to repeat their last year of school to make up for all the time they had missed as well. Luckily, Eddie's Uncle loved his great niece, and would gladly look after her when he was given the chance. Nancy's parents on the other hand had been completely pissed off when they had found out she was pregnant. However, the longer the pregnancy went on, and they saw how dedicated Eddie was to helping, they finally came round on the situation. Eddie had even been in the delivery room when she was born and had taken to fatherhood instantly. Nancy had taken a little longer to get used to motherhood, it had all been to much of a shock for her. But now, she couldn't imagine life without her baby girl, she would die for her if she had to! Add in Robin, Steve and the others, Olivia had them all wrapped around her little finger. Given the situation in how she was conceived however, they had had her blood tested not long after her birth. Luckily Murray had managed to track down Dr Owens who was still alive, he had tested the blood and it came back confirmed that she was one hundred percent human. It was a massive relief for everyone.
"Can I just see if I can tame the Demodog?" Dustin asked as he grabbed the dice.
"Dude, it's not real...It needs to die, or we can't continue on" Lucas sighed.
"But I feel bad..."
"You obviously love dogs. Why don't you just ask your mom for one?" Mike suggested.
"She prefers cats..." Dustin sulked.
"I bet if he got a dog it would be called Dart" Will smirked.
"And?" Dustin bit back.
"If you ever want a doggy, daddy will get you one" Eddie spoke in baby voice to Olivia. He looked up to see everyone smirking at him, "What?"
"If I want a doggy will you get me one?" Max asked mocking Eddies baby voice.
Everyone began to laugh as they joined in. All mimicking Eddie's voice. Eddie grinned at them all amused.
"You can tease me all you like, but I would literally buy this girl the world if she asked me to" he then lowered his voice as he spoke to Olivia again, "Though I'll get in trouble again for spoiling you so don't tell mommy"
"Don't tell mommy what?" Nancy's voice interrupted them as she entered the room, having finished college and come to pick her daughter up.
"Err...n...nothing" Eddie smiled at her.
"Your about as convincing as Dustin saying he hasn't took the last slice of pizza" Nancy smiled back as Eddie handed her Olivia and she greeted her.
"Hey!" Dustin took offence, "Sometimes it's true..."
"Sure it is..." Lucas patted him on his shoulder.
"So err...is your Uncle still ok to have her tomorrow?" Nancy asked Eddie, "My parents are still sticking to their date night routine"
"Yeah. He can't wait" Eddie told her happily.
"And all of you guys are coming to right?" Nancy turned and asked them all, "Erm, except from you three...s...sorry" she told Eddies friends who had looked at each other confused. She felt horrible now.
"It's ok" Eddie laughed, "They know we're all busy"
"Oh good" Nancy sighed still not feeling any better.
She had been busy with an assignment all week, so she hadn't really seen them all. Tomorrow was the one year anniversary since defeating Vecna. And since it was a Saturday and no one was at school, everyone had booked work off and they had decided to have a party of some sorts. Hopper and Joyce's house was the venue and honestly none of them could wait. The fact that it had been a year and nothing bad had happened, was truly a relief. They needed to blow off some steam.
"We're all going" El told her, "It should be fun"
"Yeah, it's been awhile since we've all been together properly" Will told her.
"Do you think Steve will finally ask her out?" Dustin whispered to Eddie.
"Honestly" Eddie answered, "I wouldn't hold your breath.
"How about you? Are you asking her out?"
"I think I've stepped on Steve's toes enough...I can't do that to him"
Eddie had slowly been growing feelings for Nancy over the past year. He had put it down to them having a child together and spending more time around each other. He had only become aware of them himself when he had taken her to the graduation dance. They had ended up sleeping together again that night but only because they had gotten caught up in the moment. Since then, he had found himself thinking about her at least once a day. He hoped the feelings would go away. He wasn't willing to hurt Steve like that. He knew Steve also still had feelings for her. Dustin was the only one of his friends to know all of this.
"What are you two whispering about?" Nancy asked them narrowing her eyes.
"Nothing!" They both lied like deer's caught in the headlights.
"Again...convincing" Nancy sighed as she readied to leave.
They all said their goodbyes and the game of DnD came to an end not long after. Everyone was eager to get to bed in anticipation of the next day. It really was needed.
Everyone was enjoying themselves immensely at Hopper and Joyce's. They were reminiscing about the whole ordeal, some of the bad times and some of the good. They were playing silly board games or cards. And just generally having a chilled out time. It was surprising when the phone rang though. It was getting late and they weren't expecting any calls. Joyce answered it and quickly called for Eddie.
"Eddie!"
"Yeah?" Eddie appeared soon after from the living room.
"It's your Uncle. He sounds a bit...Well worked up..."
"What?" Eddie asked confused as he grabbed the phone, "I hope Olivia is ok!"
"What's that about Olivia?" Nancy questioned as she rushed to the hallway having overheard Eddies panic.
Everyone followed behind her as they waited with bated breath. They tried to guess what the news was by Eddie's expression alone. It didn't take a genius to see he was full of concern.
"What is it?" Nancy asked starting to panic.
"O...ok" Eddie spoke down the phone, "We'll be right there..."
He hung up.
"What is it?!" Nancy asked again impatiently, "Please tell me she's ok!"
"S...she's fine" Eddie answered filling everyone with some relief, however they knew there was a but, "But our television not so much..."
"What do you mean?" Steve asked confused as Nancy waited for the explanation.
"Apparently" Eddie began, "She had a tantrum and it...well...it flew across the room"
Everyone's eyes widened as they looked at each other with concern and worry.
"What does that mean?..." Nancy questioned as her eyes filled with tears, "What are we going to do?"
And that's how I'm finishing the fic haha, on a cliff hanger. To be honest, I'll be surprised if the actually series doesn't leave it on a cliff hanger. That being said. I hope you enjoy this last chapter, even if it didn't end like some of you would have liked it to. But I'm happy with it. I'd like to thank Bo Munson for their continued support it had been greatly appreciated. And the rest of you that have enjoyed this fic. Again thank you so much. Its time to go and work on other projects. Bye!
