Hellfire (Eddie Munson x OC Stranger Things Fanfiction)

Chapter 22: The War Zone

"We have to go back in there. Back to the Upside Down," Nancy says.

"Whoa, no, no, no. What?" Steve says, standing from his position on the couch.

"Nope," Eddie agrees, one hand rubbing his face, the other squeezing my shoulder.

"Are you fucking kidding me Nancy?" I say, staring at Wheeler. I do not want to go back in there. No fucking way.

"Let's think this through. Okay?" Steve says.

"What is there to think through?" Nancy asks.

"We barely made it out of there in one piece," Steve says.

"Steve almost died!" I say, pointing towards Harrington.

"Yeah, because we weren't prepared. But this time, we will be. We'll get weapons and protection," Nancy says. "Well go through the gate, well find his lair, and we'll kill him."

"Or he'll kill us," Steve interjects. "The only reason you survived is because he wanted you to. He's not scared of us."

"And for good reason," Robin adds, standing from her seated position. "We were wrong about Vecna. Henry. One. Sorry, what are we calling him now?"

"One," Dustin and Lucas say

"Vecna," Erica and I say.

"Henry," Nancy says.

"Right. We've learned something new about Vecna slash Henry slash One," Robin continues. "He's a number, like Eleven, only a sick, evil, male, child-murdering version of her with really bad skin. But my... my point is, he's super powerful. He could turn us inside out with a snap of his fingers. It's not a fair fight."

"So, then why fight fair?" Dustin says. "You're right. He's like Eleven. But that gives us an upper hand. We know Eleven's strengths... and weaknesses."

"Weaknesses?"

"When El remote-travels, she goes into this sort of trance-like state. I bet the same is true of Vecna."

"That would explain what he was doing in that attic."

"Exactly. When he attacks his next victim, I'll bet you he's back in that attic, physical body defenseless."

"Defenseless? What about the army of bats?"

"True. Well have to find a way past them. Distract them somehow."

"And, uh, how do we do that, exactly?" Eddie says as he starts to stand.

"No idea," Dustin says and Eddie slumps back down. "But once they're gone he doesn't stand a chance. It'll be like slaying sleeping Dracula in his coffin."

"That all sounds good in theory but there is no pattern to Vecna's killings," Robin states. "I mean, at least not one that I can decipher. We don't know when he's going to attack next. We don't even know who he's going to attack next."

"Yeah, we do. I can still feel him. I'm still marked. Cursed. I ditch Kate Bush. I draw his focus back to me," Max suddenly says.