❀ s i x ❀

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They reach the bush where they left their clothes and look around, confused.

"Are we are the right spot?" Stan asks. Ben peers over the cliff.

"Yeah, this is where we jumped," Ben states.

"Looking for something?" Henry asks menacingly as he and his goons appear from behind the trees. The seven stand there half-naked, dripping wet, and feeling as vulnerable as ever.

"W-where's our s-stuff?" Bill asks, standing tall.

"Wh-what's th-th-that?" Henry mocks.

"God," Richie sighs, "Can't you come up with any other joke? You've been bullying us for years and your insults still suck. You'd think you would be better at this by now."

"Beep beep Richie!" Eddie whisper yells, begging the boy to stop talking.

Bowers glares at Richie, anger steaming off him as he slowly approaches like a lion about to pounce. However, it's different from when they were kids. Richie is the same height as Henry now, so he no longer towers over him. In fact, Henry wasn't much taller than any of them anymore...besides Eddie.

"You better fucking watch yourself, Trashmouth," Henry hisses as he stares Richie down, now only inches from his face. He pulls out his knife and pops out the blade. Richie is terrified, Bowers is obviously insane, but he doesn't let it show. He just stares right back and crosses his arms. Henry presses the knife to Richie's throat.

"Richie!" Eddie calls out, even more terrified than Richie is. He tries to get to him, but Patrick shoves him down before he can, staring down at the small boy in the dirt.

"Aw, worried about your boyfriend?" Patrick sneers.

The knife is sharp and cold against Richie's throat. Richie knows Henry killed his own father, so killing him wouldn't mean anything to Henry. Still, he doesn't break eye contact. He knows Henry picks on them because they're easy targets, and he's tired of it.

"What?" Richie says, "Are you just gonna kill me?"

"When I'm done with you, you're going to wish you were dead, Tozier," Henry seethes.

"Henry," Beverly says seriously.

"What do you want, slut?" Henry asks, not taking his eyes off Richie.

Ben thinks about the fading H scar on his stomach and innocent Beverly and becomes angry. "She's not a slut," Ben says seriously.

"Just give us our shit back," Mike demands.

"Or what?" Belch asks, stepping closer to him. Victor raises his eyebrows at the boy, arms crossed.

"This is getting a little gay, Henry," Richie interrupts, "If you wanted to stare into my eyes, you could've just asked."

"Richie, shut up!" Stan yells, and they can practically see the steam coming out of Henry's ears.

Henry swings and punches Richie, in the face, hard, knocking him to the ground. Blood spurts out of Richie's nose and he holds his face in pain. Henry kicks him while he's down before getting down and punching him repeatedly in the face.

"S-stop!" Bill shouts. Eddie stares in horror, too scared to say anything.

"Not gonna save your boyfriend?" Patrick teases, pressing his foot down against Eddie's chest as he lay on his back in the dirt that can't be sanitary.

Bill, Mike, Ben, and Beverly run over to them. Stan stops in his track when Belch stands in front of him. Victor runs over to grab them and get them off, but Mike takes a swing at him that knocks him back. Then they all push Henry as hard as they can, even throwing in a few hits and kicks until Henry is knocked off and rolls a few feet away.

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