Hidden Within the Shadows

how to kill your enemy

"If we're going to attack Vecna, we have to be careful," Adrian said, back in his body. The others were periodically giving him food. They were aware that El was still there, and her voice came through on the radio in Dustin's hand. "Me and El could take him on in our minds. Invade his mind. Two against one - literally One - is better."

He heard the way Eddie groaned on his left. He didn't like that one bit, and Adrian felt the same. But desperate times meant desperate measures, and they had to stop One before he brought the Upside Down into their world and killed everyone and everything in his path.

"We have to go back to the Upside Down," Nancy said, and Eddie and Steve made complaints over it. "It makes sense - what Adrian said. He and El take him on in his mind, and his body is vulnerable. That's when we can take him out.

"Let's think this through," Steve said as he got to his feet.

"Surprise, dickhead, we have," Adrian said. "Might need to fine-tune the little details, but we're good. I know what he looks like, and I have a better understanding of his powers. I distract him, bait him out, and when he's distracted, you and Nancy and Eddie go and kill him,"

"Why us?" the three said together.

"Why not me?"

"Robin, you're a clutz, I remember you nearly breaking my nose in gym class with a fucking tennis racquet,"

She shrugged a shoulder. "Valid argument," she said, tilting her head to the side a little.

Adrian looked at the others. "Nancy's good with a gun, Harrington has that nail baseball bat, and Eddie because he knows how to make the weirdest illegal shit ever."

Eddie nodded his head in agreement, looking like he was thinking about the dubious, morally grey shit he'd done in the past. "Flamethrower, and the lot," he said to himself.

Adrian looked over to where Eleven had been. "You alright with this, El?"

"Yes," her voice said through the radio.

There was a pause as they let the information sink in.

Nancy cleared her throat. "We have the upper hand. We know he won't fight fair, he's like Eleven, but we have her and Adrian on our side. Now that Adrian knows what he's dealing with, he can-can fuck him up, right?"

Adrian nodded. "I could make him see things," he said, brain sending off signals, rapid-fire ideas in his mind. "I make him see things from his childhood - angry parents, distorted images and shit. Eleven and I take him on while he's suffering from that. Tear him apart from the inside out."

"What about the bats?" Eddie asked, and Adrian looked at him. "They're his minions, they'll protect his body. They need to be distracted too."

"Metal concert in the Upside Down," Dustin suggested; eyes on Eddie, who perked up at the idea.

"And then when the bats descend on you, what the fuck are you going to do?" Adrian asked, looking between the two. "Yeah, barricade yourselves in the trailer, but they'll come through and tear you to shreds," he added a little snappishly.

"He's right," Erica said. "You'll get yourselves killed." She looked at Adrian. "You shut the gate in the trailer, that'll bring the bats down on it, to try and get you. The long-haired freak can play some Satanic music on a boombox while the three Muskateers go and burn Vecna's body."

"I thought I was supposed to be one of the Muskateers," Eddie said quietly, and Erica rolled her eyes.

"Fine, Lucas and Henderson can use the boombox and ride around, distracting the bats," Erica said. "Better?"