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"DIE! DIE! DIE!" DUSTIN SCREAMED, THE BATS THAT GOT INTO THE TRAILER BEING STABBED BY THE SINLAIR'S SPEARS. Eddie stopped himself, standing back. "Eddie!" Dustin screamed further, his hands exhausted. The Munson boy grabbed their shield, waving Dustin out of the way. "Move!" He yelled, Dustin doing as told as he watched the shield shut away the vent, the monsters trilling. The boys panted, Dustin falling back. The shield stayed once Eddie let go of it, the boy breathing heavily. "Holy shit. Holy shit." Eddie spoke, looking to his best friend on the ground. "Nice." Dustin spoke simply, Eddie shrugging. "Thanks." The two high fived, Dustin letting his head fall to his right. His expression fell, looking back to Eddie. "Are there other vents?" He asked, Eddie's face falling. "Oh shit." He let out, hurrying away to the other side of the trailer.

Dustin followed, the two screaming and slamming his bedroom door shut once bats filled it. "Shit!" Eddie yelled, watching them tear through the wooden door. Dustin reached for the mattress and sheets to leave as Eddie grabbed his homemade weapons, staring at the door. "That's not gonna hold!" Dustin informed, Eddie terrified. "Let's go! Let's go!" He screamed, Dustin being the first to climb up the sheets. "Quick!" Eddie yelled, eyes on the door as Dustin landed on the mattress beneath him. "Eddie! Come on!" He screamed, the Munson climbing up halfway before halting. The door cracked, Eddie staring at it mid-air. "Eddie, come on! Let's go!" Dustin yelled, urging his best friend towards him. The boy looked at him, the two making eye contact. "Eddie." Dustin spoke gently, seeing Eddie slowly climb back down. What was he climbing back to? Being hunted? The world won't look at him the same. He can either be a hero right now or live as a criminal his entire life.

"Eddie!" Dustin started to yell again, the Munson making his choice. Grabbing his shield and spear again, Dustin's heart sank. "Eddie! No!" He yelled, Eddie cutting the sheets with the spear. They landed in Dustin's arms, the boy feeling tears coat his cheeks and he glanced at them. "Please! Eddie!" Dustin begged, watching Eddie move the mattress away. "Eddie! Please, stop. Stop. Stop." Dustin repeated, hands on his head as tears ran down his cheeks. "Eddie, what are you doing?" He yelled, the boy ignoring him. "I'm buying more time." He answered, rushing away as Dustin shook his head. "No!" He yelled, hearing the door shut. Eddie grabbed the bike he came here with, the bats surrounding the trailer seeing him bike away quickly. They all chased him, the boy panting as Max barricaded all the doors in the gymnasium. Walking back to grab another chair, she turned around, tensing. The door as no longer barricaded but replaced with the door to the Creel home.

The door opened by itself, Max breathing quickening. "You can't hide from me, Max." Vecna drawled out, Max's eyes widening. Closing her eyes again, flashes of memories ran through her head. The sleepover with El. The mall with El. Laughing with her mother at the tv. Reacting to Sebastian's new green hair. "You think I don't see what you're doing?" Vecna's voice echoed, Max ignoring him. "You think I don't see everything?" The man spoke, Max seeing Jason aiming a gun at Lucas. Her closed eyes scrunched in confused, hearing Lucas beg. "You thought you could trick me?" Vecna asked, seeing Dustin and Eddie screaming at bats. "You thought your friends could stop me?" Vecna questioned further, Max flinching at a Demodog roar. "You thought Seven would willingly kill me? His brother?" Vecna asked, Max's eyebrows scrunched as she watched multiple flashes of Sebastian. It was at the lab. He looked happy as he conversed with a tall blond man, seeing the two playing chess together.

"You think you could take him from me?" The man turned to her, the girl inhaling sharply. "I see them." Vecna spoke, showing the girl flashes of everyone. Hopper running from a Demodog. Seb and the others being choked by tentacles. Eddie and Dustin fighting bats. Lucas being held at gunpoint. "I see your friends. My brother." Flashes continued through her mind, Max seeing Seb's head loll forward. "Just as clearly as I-" "Stop!" Dustin yelled up, Max flinching. "see you." Vecna spat, showing Max flashes of her friends. "I can feel them. I can feel them dying." She saw flashes of Steve, Seb, Nancy and Robin. All four of them dying. The same clock chimed, Max opening her eyes quickly. The door was open ahead of her, Max staring down the doorway. "It's time, Max." Vecna spoke, the girl slowly moving away. Dream a Little Dream of Me played, the music warped as Max glanced around at anything to help her. "It's time." Vecna spoke, the girl turning around to see him behind her. Screaming, she was flung back to the wall opposite, yelling in pain as she was held up.

She whimpered, Vecna stalking towards her. "We call him Vecna." Lucas explained, Jason confused. "He lives in another dimension." The boy continued to explain, hands still surrendered. "That's why you can't see him." The boy spoke, Jason sniffling. "And Eddie Munson and his... his Hellfire acolytes, what, you all summoned this Vecna?" He asked, Lucas shaking his head quickly. "Is he the one with the eyes?" Jason spoke, Lucas gulping. "No, no. That's Sebastian-" "Is he 'Vecna'? Did you summon him to kill-" "No, no, you're not listening. Just listen." Lucas stopped Jason, the boy feeling his eyes sting. "There.. there's no cult. Sebastian is not killing people. He's helping us." He spoke, Jason tilting his head. "You expect me to believe that?" He spoke, his hair stuck to his forehead. "It's the truth." Lucas secured his assurance with a firm nod, Jason urging the gun towards Lucas. "Then why was Chrissy at Eddie's trailer?" He asked, watching the Sinclair boy shrug. "She was buying drugs-" "Liar!" Lucas flinched, the gun not shooting him as Jason flicked the safety.

"Okay." Lucas panted, holding his hand out. "Okay. Chrissy... She was seeing things. Terrible things." Lucas spoke gently as not to provoke the boy in front of him. "Things Vecna forced her to see. She was scared." He let out, watching Jason shake his head. "No." He spoke, Lucas huffing. "She just needed the help-" "That's how I know you're lying. If Chrissy was scared, if... if Chrissy wanted help, she would've come to me!" Jason let out, holding the gun tighter. "Not Eddie! Not that freak! Never!" He continued, Lucas gulping. "You're wrong about Eddie." He stated firmly, Jason shaking his head. "No. But I was wrong about you." He spat, Lucas' jaw clenching. "I never should've let you in the door." Jason seethed, Lucas' smile falling. "I never should have knocked." Lucas shot back, Jason gulping once he lowered his hands. "I thought I wanted to be like you. Popular. Normal." Lucas spoke, not taking his eyes off of Jason's. "But it turns out, normal's just a raging psychopath." He spat, Jason holding the gun further.

"You have five seconds to wake her up." The boy insisted, Lucas glaring at him. "Four." Jason continued, watching Lucas not move. "Three-" Jason grunted, Lucas shoving them both into the wall. A gunshot sounded, the boy above Erica loosening his grip. The girl was able to get out, kicking the boy's face. "Hey! Hey!" He yelled, scrambling up as Erica smacked his face with the flashlight. Lucas defended himself from Jason, the boy shoving him over one of the boxes. The Walkman fell, Lucas looking to it. Jason paid no mind, stepping on it and breaking it on his way to stalk towards Lucas. Standing up, the Sinclair was met with multiple punches, throwing one at Jason. The boy gripped his middle, throwing them both down as the two grunted in pain. Max gasped in pain in her state, the two boys continuing to fight behind her. Max cried out in pain, watching Vecna walk closer to her. Vecna simply growled, tilting his head. "You are brave, Maxine." He spoke, the girl ahead of him struggling.

"Much braver than your brother." Vecna continued, Max crying. "But in the end... you are weak and fragile, just like him." He spat, Max forced to look him in the eyes. "Just like all the rest of them. And you will break." He spoke, Max starting to writhe as best as she could once Vecna's hand emerged between the two of them, covering her face. Rolling his own eyes back, Vecna strained himself, Max whining out before the man was flung back. He was levitated mid air, Max feeling herself fall onto the ground. Vecna groaned out in pain, Max looking past him. Her face fell, watching El round the man, her arm outstretched. Vecna gasped out, confused himself as El felt blood fall down her nose. "Seven..." He drawled, El gradually turned her palm to herself, Vecna's body following. He lifted his head, meeting eyes with the girl. "You." He spat, El tilting her head lightly. "Hi." She spat out, thrusting her hand to her left as Vecna followed. His body smashed through the bleachers, Eddie breathless as he biked the hardest he'd ever biked before.

The swarm shrieked behind him, Eddie yelling. "Come get me, you sons of bitches!" He screamed, Dusting hurriedly putting a chair underneath the gate. "Screw it." He spoke, yelling to ready himself as he leaped onto the chair, jumping to cling onto the edge of the gate. Straining himself, Dustin climbed up the gate, Eddie feeling his legs cramp. A bat was able to clip his neck, the boy being flung off of his bike. Dustin let out a pained yell as his ankle twisted, falling into the Upside Down. Eddie sprung up, starting to run before stopping himself. I didn't know what to do, so I... I... I ran away. I just ran, and I left her there. Eddie heard himself, staring at the floor. I mean, look at us. We are not heroes. He slowly turned back around, a glare on his face as he gripped his weapons tightly. Readying himself, a bat flew at him. The Munson quickly held his shield out, the other bats circling him in. Trapping him. Hopper sprinted through the corridors, leading a Demodog to the prison pit. "Shit!" He yelled, seeing the monster behind him.

Joyce watched through the screens, terribly worried for the man as the Demodog snarled behind him. Looking to her left, she saw electric sticks lined up, staring at them. Erica sprinted towards the Creel home, panting as Lucas was shoved down. Breathless, he elbowed behind him, hitting Jason's abdomen as he grunted. The Sinclair too this chance to swing at the boy, punching his face as Jason stumbled back. Standing up fully, Jason managed to grab a glass, smashing it off of Lucas' temple. The boy yelled, falling to the ground and watching Jason storm over. Max panted, standing herself up as El rushed over to her, helping her stand. "Max, are you okay?" She asked, the girl heavily confused. "Huh?" She replied, El feeling her eyes sting. "Are you okay?" She repeated worriedly, the ginger girl nodding. "Yeah. Are you..." El's brows scrunched, feeling Max squeeze her chin and head. "Are you real?" Max asked, observing her. "Did I make you?" She questioned further, El holding her hand within hers. "I'm real." She spoke, Max panting.

"How?" She asked, El nodding. "I piggybacked from a pizza dough freezer." She informed as if that was normal, Max frozen. "What?" She asked, El stuttering to explain as rustling sounded. Both girls froze, looking to see Vecna pulling himself up. He cracked his neck, growling as he walked forward. "Stay back." El ordered, Max glancing to her. The ginger girl watched simply as El stepped forward herself, the two meeting eyes. Max glanced between them, El's jaw clenched. "If you touch her again, I will kill you again." She seethed, Vecna tilting his head. "Is that what you did? Hmm?" He challenged, El inhaling sharply. "Did you kill me? I am so glad you are here, Eleven." Vecna let out, El's chest ragged. "This... is going to be beautiful." He spoke, the girl's faces dropping simultaneously as red tendrils connected to multiple shards of wood. "So very beautiful." Vecna raised his arms, the wood shards raising. "Seven has made me so very powerful." Vecna spoke, El feeling her jaw clench.

Max's eyes widened, the wood's sharp edges pointing directly at El. "And it's all thanks to you." He spoke, thrusting the shards towards El. Her hand shoved them to her left, each one sharply stabbing the bleachers. Max flinched, Vecna using the chance to fling the girl back, El landing on the DJ stand. Groaning in pain, El felt herself get flung around the gym. A red tendril connected to her ankle, the girl yelling as it dragged her over tables, the pain immense. "She's fighting him." Mike spoke,

the girl beginning to shake lightly in the freezer.

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[2200 words!]

Hope you enjoyed!!!

Byeee!