OUTCASTS • Eddie Munson

S - O - S

They walked in silence through the woods, at least for most of the way. Once Robin broke the silence and nothing bad happened, it sort of comforted the group to be able to speak without consequence.

"Couldn't we have tried a road, or something just slightly less creepy?" She asked Nancy, as they traipsed at the front of their little parade through the Upside Down.

"I think we're getting close. We're almost out of here, don't worry." Nancy responded.

Eddie and Ellie remained stuck to each other's sides, their fingers intertwined and Eddie's thumb running over the back of her hand, reminding himself that he was not alone in this situation, and comforting her at the same time.

"Eddie!" Steve called from behind them, picking up his pace to catch up with the pair. "Hey man, uh... Listen I just wanted to say thanks... for saving my ass back there." Steve told him, "And you, of course, Ellie. Nancy said you were the one who first jumped in after me."

"Shit, you saved your own ass, man." Eddie told him.

"Yeah, I mean if I didn't think you could handle yourself, I wouldn't have followed you. No point following a dead man into a grave." Ellie responded, smiling at Steve as he walked alongside them both.

Steve grinned at the two.

"I mean, that was a real Ozzy move you pulled back there." Eddie told him.

"Ozzy?" Steve questioned.

"When you took a bite out of that bat." Eddie said. Ellie squeezed his hand in an attempt to let him know that Steve didn't get the reference. "Ozzy Osbourne?" Eddie continued as Steve's face remained contorted in confusion. "Black Sabbath? He bit a bat's head off onstage? You know? Doesn't matter."

"No." Steve told him, confirming that he had no idea what Eddie was talking about.

"It's very metal, what you did. That's all I'm saying."

Ellie smiled at Eddie's attempt to bond with Steve, even if it wasn't going very well.

"Thanks." Steve told him.

"Henderson told me you were a badass. Insisted on the matter, in fact."

"Wait, Henderson said that?"

"Oh yeah. Shit. Kid worships you, dude. Like you have no idea. It's kinda annoying, to be honest." Eddie told him.

Steve smiled.

"You guys should adopt him." Ellie commented.

"Shut up." Eddie grinned, returning his attention to Steve, "I don't even know why I care what that little shrimp thinks, but uh, guess I got a little jealous, Steve." He continued, pausing to gauge Steve's reaction to his candid honesty, "I guess I couldn't accept the fact that Steve Harrington was actually a good dude. Rich parents, popular, chicks love him. Not a douche? No way, man. No way. That, like, flies in the face of all the laws in the universe, and my own personal Munson doctrine. Still super jealous as hell, by the way." He leaned into Steve to confirm he knew he was joking.

Steve laughed, pushing Eddie away lightly.

"Which is why I would never have jumped in that lake to save your ass. Not under any... normal circumstances." A branch snapped in the distance, sending them into silence for a second before Eddie continued, "Nope. Outside of D&D, I'm no hero."

"What happened to you jumping at the chance to save a damsel in distress?" Ellie nudged him.

"Joking aside, I told you how I reacted when shit went down with Chrissy, and you saw how I was with Patrick. I see danger, and I just turn heel and run." Eddie said, his voice breaking ever so slightly as he admitted it, "Or, at least that's what I've learned about myself this week."