Chapter Twenty-Four
Meat Pile
"So what is the plan that you guys came up with for Dart?" Veronica asked looking between Dustin and Steve.
Steve's hand was still tightly grasped into hers feeling like if he let go, suddenly, she wouldn't be ok. The moment signs of her nose bleed started to show soon after her remote traveling, Steve rushed over with a tissue and got her a glass of water. Veronica of course tried to get him to stop his fussing. But of course, Steve couldn't bring himself to stop. His body was charged with worry.
"We are going to lure him to a remote area, I was thinking of the abandoned junkyard on the south side of town." Dustin started, "We know he's out there in the woods somewhere so we can walk the old train tracks to the junkyard and draw him that way. It's a long walk, but the further from town the better."
Veronica nodded her head, "Smart."
The small amount of praise caused a smile to come across Dustin's face showing off his teeth.
"See, she thinks it's a good idea," Dustin spoke, raising his hand to point to Veronica.
"I didn't say it wasn't a good idea," Steve rolled his eyes, "I was just saying it's a lot for only two people."
"And now we have three," Veronica grabbed the glass in front of her and finished off her water, "Let's get a move on?"
"We already got the meat," Dustin spoke moving toward the sliding door.
Veronica moved from the stool she sat on and followed after Dustin, her hand falling from Steve's hold. He frowned slightly as he followed behind the two in front of him. Walking out toward Steve's car that was sitting in the driveway, Veronica was able to see buckets sitting out of it. Dustin's prideful smile returned to his face as he turned to speak to Veronica once again.
"So this is the meat we're gonna drop along the tracks to pull him toward the junkyard."
Veronica groaned and her face scrunched up as the awful smell of raw meat hit her nose. "Oh, Jesus Christ!"
"You get used to smelling," Steve spoke, his face slightly scrunched up as well. "We've also got this."
Steve walked closer to his trunk and unlocked it quickly, Veronica walked up beside him and looked down into the trunk seeing a few different weapons. There were gloves, goggles, and bandanna sticking out of a plastic grocery bag. But also noticed a tire iron, the bat Steve had the night before, and a gas canister.
"So you're plan is to what...set it on fire the moment you get close enough?" She asked, directing her gaze to Steve. He loomed over her slightly, leaning forward toward her, as his hand held up the trunk. She couldn't help but lean forward a little more as the warm scent of whatever colon he was wearing wrapped around her – somehow masking the scent of the meat only a few feet away.
"I mean I would think that is the best way to get rid of it, don't you?"
The thought of fire made Veronica's skin crawl. She might not have memories of her episodes, but in every single one, she's been told that she screams of something burning.
"W-Whatever you think is best," Veronica spoke with a shakiness to her voice. But before Steve could speak to question it, the sound of a voice coming through a walkie could be heard.
Veronica's brows pulled together in confusion, before turning and looking at Dustin.
"About fucking time," He grumbled before grabbing his walkie "Well, well, well...look who finally decided to answer."
Steve moved around Veronica and started loading things into the car. Veronica moved to place a couple of buckets into the back of the trunk along with everything else.
"I'm sorry man, my sister turned my walkie off, I didn't hear your calls." Lucas's voice came through.
"Well, while you were having sister problems...Dart grew again. He escaped and I'm pretty sure he's a baby Demogorgon."
"Wait. What?" Lucas questioned
"I'll explain late. Just meet us over at the old abandoned junkyard," Dustin instructed
"Us?"
"Steve, Veronica, and I," Dustin spoke, following behind Veronica and Steve as the two of them started getting into the car.
"Steve? Steve Harrington?" Lucas sounded shocked.
"Just meet us there! Hurry!" Dustin spoke as he slammed the back passenger side door.
The ride toward the start of the tracks wasn't a long one from Steve's house. He parked his car between two trees so it would be hidden from the road. Veronica followed out behind him and slipped on the yellow dishwasher gloves Steve handed to her. Dustin followed along and did the same, before grabbing one of the buckets. Steve passed the other to Veronica before pulling out the backpack with the bat tucked into one of the pockets. He grabbed the gas canister, before turning to the two in front of him.
"Alright, let's go...and stay close...don't stray off," Steve instructed, his eyes more pointed to Veronica.
"Why are you looking at me?"
"I don't know...just felt it needed to be said." Steve shrugged his shoulders.
She rolled her eyes at him before moving to fall into step beside him, Dustin a few steps in front as they made their way down the old railroad tracks. Every few steps either Dustin or Veronica threw down a chunk of meat creating a Hansel and Gretel style trail across the forest floor.
"I still don't understand how you got Dart in the first place," Veronica spoke up. "And why you kept him."
"I found him in my trash can after Halloween. I thought it was a new type of amphibian or something. I also thought it would be cool to I don't know...Impress a girl." Dustin spoke, the last part a little mumbled but both Steve and Veronica were able to hear him.
"But you kept him even after Will's warning?" Veronica asked
"I thought it was cool!" Dustin exclaimed "Like after showing it off to someone they'd name it after me cause I discovered it. I didn't realize what Dart was before it was too late."
"You kept something you knew was probably dangerous...all to impress a girl that you just met?" Steve spoke, bringing Dustin's comment from earlier back around.
"Alright, that is...grossly oversimplifying things."
"What girl would like a slug?" Steve asked with his face twisted with disgust.
"An inter-dimensional slug?" Veronica spoke up, "Does sound kind of awesome."
"Thank you, Veronica," Dustin spoke, stressing out the 'thank you slightly.
"Well, even if she thought it was cool, which she didn't. I...I just...I don't know, it sounds like you were trying way too hard." Steve shrugged his shoulders slightly.
"Well all of us can't have your perfect hair," Dustin grumbled, throwing a piece of meat down a little harder than before.
"It's not all about the hair, man," Steve spoke with a sigh, noticing the defeated demeanor of the younger one in front of him. "The key to girls is just...acting like you don't care."
That made Veronica stop and look at Steve with a confused look that said more of; are you kidding me, than anything else. He stopped and looked at her before rolling his eyes.
"Don't look at me like that. You said it yourself...you can't comment on things like this since you have no experience." Steve spoke with a pointed look.
"I may not have experience, but even I know that sounds like horse shit."
Steve stared at her with wide eyes, "Did Veronica Hopper just curse? I don't think I've ever heard you curse before." Steve chuckled with a flirty smile slightly, "Do it again. I liked it."
Veronica rolled her eyes and continued walking and tossing down a few more pieces of meat.
"So what do I do? Do I care? Do I not care?" Dustin asked looking between the two of them.
"Act like you don't care, even if you do. It drives them nuts." Steve spoke moving to walk beside Dustin more.
"And then?"
"And then you wait...until uh...till you feel it."
"Feel what, exactly, Steve?" Veronica spoke from behind him. Steve could hear the smirk in her voice and it both irritated him and made him smile.
"It's like before it's gonna storm, you know? You can't see it, but you can feel it..uh...electricity you know?"
"Like a change in the barometric pressure?" Dustin questioned jumping ahead of Steve.
"No...no, man...like a sexual electricity?" Steve shook his head, causing more of his hair to fall into his face.
"And then you kiss her?" Dustin asked
"Woah, no. Slow it down there Romeo," Steve spoke "Sure, okay, some girls...yeah they want you to be aggressive. You know...strong, hot and heavy...like...a...uh...lion. But some, you gotta be stealthy...like a ninja."
Dustin looked behind him to see Veronica a few steps behind them, seemingly no longer listening to the conversation they were having.
"What kind is Veronica?" Dustin whispered. The question caused Steve's head to shoot down at him in both shock and confusion. "Oh come on, you're telling me you're not aware of it?"
"It? What is it?" Steve spoke
"That you like her," Dustin shrugged, speaking as if it was obvious what he was talking about. "I mean, in the short time I've seen the two of you together, that's what it seems like. And you nearly freaked out when she went to remote travel. That's not how friends act around each other."
"How would you know? You tried to use a slug to impress a girl." Steve spoke "Veronica and I are friends."
"Sure," Dustin rolled his eyes "All I know is...seeing you with Veronica seems a lot more like you're in love than when you were with Nancy."
Steve stared down at the kid before him in shock, Dustin rising his brows up slightly. As if silently challenging Steve to tell him he's wrong. But as Steve opened his mouth a few times, prepared to defend himself, nothing could come up. His mind went blank with anything for him to say.
"You two still talking about girls up here?" Veronica spoke, moving to step beside Steve, causing them both to look at her. "Are we gonna pick it up and get us a Demogorgon?"
She smiled before moving to walk past them moving faster than the two of them down the tracks. Dustin looked between Steve and Veronica and saw the dazed look in Steve's eyes again. Dustin kept his eyes locked on Steve, till Steve blinked a few times and looked down at him. Steve's face dropped when he saw the smirk on Dustin's face.
"Don't even start," Steve spoke walking a little faster to catch up with Veronica.
It was a little less than an hour before Steve, Veronica and Dustin reached the end of the tracks that lead to the junkyard. It was a vast open area that was filled with scattered rusted cars, a large old school bus, and various other car parts.
"Oh yeah," Steve spoke, his eyes slowly scanning over the space, "This is perfect."
"Good job, kid," Veronica praised again, smiling down at Dustin before walking forward to continue dropping down the remainder of the meat in her bucket.
Neither she nor Steve saw the bright smile that came across Dustin's face, his chest filling with pride he didn't realize he needed to hear.
Dustin and Veronica trailed the meat to the center of the field before dumping the rest into a large pile. Veronica tossed her bucket to the side and stepped back as Steve doused the pile with the gas within the canister. The strong gasoline scent filled the air around them. Veronica didn't know which made her stomach churn more – the gas or the meat.
"We'll use the bus as a commander center and watchpoint," Steve instructed "Should use pieces to barricade the bus and use it as protection just in case. Then maybe we can use the spare doors so that he can't escape between the cars...a one way in, one way out sorta thing?"
"No that sounds like a really good idea," Veronica nodded her head.
The sound of a voice echoed toward them but neither of them could make out the words. When Veronica and the others turned around, they saw Lucas coming from the other direction to the junkyard. He waved his hands before continuing his walk down, it didn't take long to notice the red-headed girl walking beside him.
"Whose that?" Steve asked
Veronica's dark brown eyes trialed down to Dustin waiting for him to possibly explain. But soon the bright smile that was once on his face was replaced with a hardened mask. She could feel the red hot anger coming from him as he stared at Lucas and the unknown girl. When Steve looked down at him, he noticed the quick change in demeanor as well.
"Oh," He spoke as if it suddenly hit him who the girl was.
"Let's uh...get started yeah?" Veronica spoke before clearing her throat. "Powers or no powers?"
"Seeing as there is a new girl...I'm going no powers." Steve spoke, patting her shoulder lightly.
"This is going to make things go so much slower," Veronica sighed heavily before moving toward a pile of scrap metal and car parts.
Veronica reached up and swiped away the sweat that was dripping down her forehead as she moved the final piece between two cars. The junkyard was barricaded off almost perfectly with the materials they were given. More pieces were placed against the bus as an act of armor for the run-down bus. Barrels were rolled over as well to act as support for any pieces that couldn't sit up on their own. The sun started going down casting the field in burnt orange color. But once night fell, one by one, they all loaded onto the bus. Steve closed the bus doors tightly behind them and soon they left the settle and wait.
Veronica watched as Lucas and the new girl, who she quickly learned was named Max, headed up the old ladder to sit on the roof as the lookouts. Suddenly she was feeling nervous and moved to sit down on one of the few leftover benches. Steve moved to sit down with her, flicking his lighter open and closing out of boredom. Dustin sat in the front driver's seat acting as another point of lookout. Veronica let out a shaky breath and began to fidget with her hands as silence fell around all of them. The chill of the Hawkins air cut through the bus as a fog fell over the junkyard.
"Hey..." Steve spoke, reaching over and gently placing his hand on her back, rubbing it in a soothing motion. "You ok?"
Veronica popped her head up with a soft hum, before nodding her head slightly. "Y-Yeah...j-just nervous all of a sudden."
"Why?" Steve asked, "We're gonna be ok. It's all gonna work out."
"I-I know...I just...I thought we were all done with this last year and with everything happening...I don't know...feels almost too much sometimes." Veronica spoke softly "My dad was harping on me so hard to have a 'normal life' but it seems like anything but normal has been happening lately.
Steve scoffed lightly, "Who wants to be normal though? You're a badass with superpowers that saved someone's life. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't wanna be normal."
She smiled at him slightly, lifting her eyes to look at him more. "You think I'm badass?"
Steve nodded his head, "Absolutely. I see how everyone treats you like you're this fragile thing that needs someone watching her at all times. I think this is the longest I've seen you without Jonathan hovering over your shoulder like an overbearing big brother."
That comment made Veronica chuckle and brought a smile to her face. Steve couldn't ignore the warmth that spread through his chest at the sigh. Fuck, could Dustin be right? He thought to himself.
"Some look at me as fragile, others like I'm a ticking time bomb waiting to go off...become a monster." She whispered the first part.
Steve hated how the small smile once on her lips was taken away in seconds. He reached over and threaded his fingers through hers and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"You're not a monster, Ronnie," Steve whispered softly, making her look up at him again. "You never were, and you're never going to be."
Veronica felt like she could breathe for a second with the emotions that hit her all at once. Her hand squeezed tightly around Steve's hand before suddenly her heart rate spiked and she could hear her blood rushing in her ears. She moved fast, before soon, her arms were wrapped around his neck. Veronica felt the sudden need to hug him and let the emotions take over. Steve felt frozen for a moment before his arms soon wrapped around her waist and pulled her close. Looking over her shoulder, he spotted Dustin look at him, a knowing smirk on his face. But Steve didn't feel defensive this time, instead, he smiled and nuzzled into her neck slightly.
The loud high pitched growling echoed from the woods, causing everyone to become alert. Veronica pulled away from Steve for a moment before the two of them moved toward the front of the bus to look out the windows. The fog made it hard to see anything as their eyes scanned over the junkyard.
"Do you see anything?" Veronica whispered softly to Steve and Dustin.
"Can't see shit with this fog," Steve grumbled beside you.
"Lucas?" Dustin called up the ladder, "What's going on?"
"Hold on!" Lucas shouted back.
Above the three of them, Lucas quickly grabbed his binoculars to search out over the field and try to get a better look for Dart. It seemed the time slowed down as they waited for any sign of Dart or word from Dustin.
"I've got eyes! Ten o'clock" Lucas shouts down, his voice shaky with nerves. "Ten o'clock."
Steve and Dustin shifted their eyes in the direction that Lucas was pointing out for them, and within the fog, they caught movement.
"Over there," Steve pointed out for Veronica, "See him?"
Her eyes shifted before spotting him through the dense fog, her heart stopped for a moment as she watched him eat the chunks of meat one by one.
"I-I see him." She spoke with a shaky voice.
Everyone was tense as they watched him slowly move down the trail that Veronica had created with Dustin before, after a few moments, he began to slow down.
"What's he doing?" Dustin questioned with worry in his tone.
"I don't know," Steve answered
A low chittering noise could be heard as Dart moved around the chunks of meat, seeming to now dismiss the food. The noise alone was making the hairs on the back of Veronica's neck stand up.
"He's not taking the bait. Why isn't he taking the bait?" Veronica asked with a panicked voice.
"Maybe he's no longer hungry?" Dustin questioned back
"Or maybe he's sick of cow," Steve spoke before slowly backing away from the window. He stood there for a moment before moving toward the back of the bus. The moment he picked up the bat, Veronica's stomach rolled.
"Steve," She spoke, drawing his name out slightly "W-What are you doing?"
"Steve?" Dustin questioned as he moved back toward the front and past them.
Steve stopped right outside the bus doors, and pulled the lighter from his pocket, before tossing it to Dustin.
"Just get ready. Ok?" He spoke with a hardened look of determination on his face.
Veronica started to feel panicked and wasn't sure if it was Dustin beside her or her own emotions. "What!? Are you crazy?"
"Close the door behind me," Steve spoke with a heavy sigh, trying to ignore the frantic look in her eyes.
"No." Veronica moved quickly and grabbed tightly to his arm, stopping him, "Don't do this...please."
"I'm gonna ok," Steve spoke "Just be ready, and everything will be fine. I've got this."
Veronica whimpered slightly as he slowly peeled her hand away from his arm, before turning around the opening the door slowly. The creak of the rusted metal door opening made her heart rate spike even more – Veronica thought for a second she was gonna throw up. Steve slowly walked out of the bus and into the opening they created. Veronica closed the door behind him and moved to watch from the window beside Dustin.
"He's fucking crazy," Dustin spoke from beside her.
She made an anxious noise as she watched Steve slowly move between the cars and toward the center, bat tight in his grasp as he walked. From behind them, Dustin and Veronica could hear someone coming down the ladder.
"What is he doing?" Max questioned
"Expanding the menu," Dustin spoke over his shoulder.
They all could hear him taunting and whistling to Dart – trying to capture the attention of the creature.
"He is insane." Max declared
"He's awesome," Dustin corrected, causing Veronica to swat at his arm slightly. He fained false injury before whispering a quick apology, once he saw how worried Veronica was.
Veronica shook her head and looked back out the window to watch Steve, not wanting to miss anything in case she needed to jump in. The moment he walked outside, was the moment Veronica threw hiding her powers out of the window. New girl or not, if Steve needed saving, Veronica was going to do whatever she needed. Everything seemed to be ticking by slowly as they all waited with bated breath. The fog began to roll away and give a better look to clearing. Everyone's stomach dropped when they were finally able to see Dart, and quickly realize, he'd grown again. He was about the size of a large dog.
A movement to the left caught Veronica's eyes and her stomach dropped when she saw what was on top of a car.
"Steve! Watch out!" Lucas screamed out, seemingly catching the same movement as her.
"A little busy here!" Steve shouted back, not removing his eyes from the creature in front of him.
"Three o'clock! Three o'clock!"
"Oh, shit." Veronica cursed as she stumbled away from the window as another Demogorgon was spotted. They seemed to have not only grown but multiplied in the short amount of time since Dart escaped.
As Lucas shouted toward the older teenager, Steve finally looked around and noticed that it wasn't just one that had come to the junkyard. But it seemed that an entire pack was now surrounding him. Veronica grabbed the handle of the bus and ripped it open, not hesitating to head out into the opening. The sound of the door creaking open only captured the attention away from Steve and onto her.
"Steve! Abort mission! Abort mission!" Dustin screamed from the opened door behind her.
Veronica saw the one in front of Steve start to charge for him, its face opening up as it ran with a deep growl coming from it. From beside her, the other did the same. Veronica moved quickly and used her powers to send one of them flying back, running to Steve to capture the other.
"Steve!" She frantically screamed, watching as he smashed the face of one with the bat in his hand. "Steve! Run!"
Steve turned on his heels quickly and ran back toward the direction of the bus. His eyes widened when he saw Veronica. She stood only a few feet from the door. She rose her hand up to capture one of the barrels with her powers and sent it across the field, slamming it into two more that were charging for Steve. More and more came from between cars and jumped over them as Steve raced back to safety. Veronica tilted her head to the side slightly to send another barrel into one, while using her other hand to send a car door across to another. Steve's arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her back to the bus. Veronica watched with wide eyes as one was heading straight to them, its face opened up wide. Steve nearly threw the both of them into the bus. Veronica acted fast and slammed the bus door shut with her mind, holding it in place as the bus began to rock back and forth. The shrieks, growls, and chittering could be heard as one by one the bus became surrounded.
"Shit! Shit!" Dustin screamed
"Are they rabid or something?" Max spoke in panic, unsure of what to make of what was happening in front of her "And how were you able to move things! What's going on! Are you an alien!?"
Veronica kept her focus on the door as the bus began to rock back and forth violently. She could see the claws and teeth of the Demogorgons through the cracks of the metal against the bus. The headache started to form and blood tricked down from her nose as she fought against the force of multiple bodies slamming into the bus. Screams broke out as the sound of glass shattering sounded, half the body of a Demogorgon coming through and reaching out with its clawed hand. Steve rushed and pushed Lucas out of the way before he could grab, before taking the bat in his hand and hitting the creature over and over. The loud shrieks of pain filled the bus along with everyone's screams.
Dustin scrambled to grab his walkie, "Is anyone there? Mike? Will? God! Anyone!"
Soon the metal sides of the bus began to billow and puncture as the Demogorgon pack slammed into the bus more and more. A few were able to slice the weakened metal with their claws.
"We're at the old junkyard and we're going to die!" Dustin continued to scream into his walkie system.
For a moment everything began to stop. The violent sounds of their bodies hitting the bus stopped along with the rocking back and forth. Veronica whimpered as the pressure against the bus door weakened and soon let up completely. Her hand reached up and wiped away the blood that had trickled down from her nose and to her upper lip. The nauseous taste of metal on her lips and tongue. But the calm only lasted a few seconds before the pounding noise came from above. Everyone's eyes slowly moved up to the roof of the bus and could see the movement of the roof as something walked across it. Slowly everyone's eyes moved with it, till their eyes landed on the opening where a vent once was.
Max looked up to the opening when the movement stopped and it wasn't long till a scream ripped from her lungs as a growling noise came from above.
"Outta the way, outta the way!" Steve screamed
Steve and Veronica moved quickly toward the front. Veronica grabbed the girl away as Steve stood at the base of the stairs, bat in hand, and ready to swing.
"You want some? Come and get it!" Steve taunted
The Demogorgon screeched down at Steve, leaning down into the opening. Veronica used her body as a shield for the kids as she saw its head dip down slightly toward Steve.
But for a moment, everything stopped. The one above seemed to let out a growling sound before jumping from the roof. The power of its jump causes the bus to rock again. Everyone seemed frozen for a moment as they heard the growling of the Demogorgon start to fade off into a distance. Everyone looked around at each other in fear, confusion, and amazement.
Veronica was the first the move and walked to the door, flicking her head to the side, causing the door to slowly open. Steve moved through the kids to get to her, but it was too late, Veronica stepped out and looked around. The fog swept across the field with no monster in sight. Instead, she watched as one by one they ran away from them.
"What happened?" Lucas spoke up, and one by one the kids followed behind Steve.
Steve set the bat down up on onto his shoulder as he watched them run before his eyes moved to meet with Veronica's.
"Maybe Steve scared them off?"
"No. No way." Steve shook his head, turning toward the group. "They are heading somewhere."
Veronica's stomach twisted and suddenly she felt sick. A small whimper left her lips as her knee's buckled and she dropped down to the ground. Everyone moved to her quickly as she began to heave and cough. Steve knelt down beside her and held a hand out to stop the kids from moving closer.
"Hey...hey..." Steve pulled her hair back from her face, "You ok?"
Veronica continued to cough before spitting slightly and sitting back on her knees. "I-I'm fine...I...I just felt sick all of a sudden."
"From using your powers?" Steve questioned
Veronica shook her head, "N-No...it's like...I felt a wave of intense anger, it was enough to make me sick. B-But it wasn't mine. It's not my anger...i...it's someone else's emotions."
"No one's angry here," Lucas spoke
"If anything I'm scared shitless," Dustin continued.
The sound of the monster's growling caused Veronica to shoot her head up in a direction. Her stomach rolled again when she realized what direction she was feeling the emotion from.
"H-Hawkins Lab," Veronica groaned "How far are we from Hawkins Lab?"
"A few miles. Train tracks head that direction." Steve answered. Veronica looked toward him as she moved to sit back on her knees, and wiped away her mouth. A look of realization came across his face. "They are heading to the lab?"
Veronica slowly nodded her head, "We gotta go. Now!"
"Why are we going to the monsters?" Dustin asked
"Because my dad is there," Veronica spoke with panic, before moving quickly from the floor and heading toward the direction of the tracks. She stopped and turned to see if anyone was following, but saw neither of them had moved "Come on! I wasn't kidding...let's go!"
Quickly they burst into movement and followed after her up to the tracks and toward Hawkins Lab.
AN: Thank you so much for all the reviews! I love how everyone wanted Veronica to stay "good". I have been thinking of a moment for the end of the season where she might have a moment, but I haven't decided 100%. I have a feeling many if you might know the moment. Please leave your thoughts and reviews!