Vecna's Pawn || Eddie Munson

~Death Never Doesn't Hurt~

Eddie is dying.

I can feel it.

Yet I can do nothing about it as I am dying myself.

I see his plan in my head. I try to tell him not to do it through our minds.

It doesn't work. I am too weak.

I lay perfectly still as my father drags my weakened body through Max's mind.

Im bleeding out and living my lasts moments but all I can thing about is how Eddie can't die. He has to survive.

"Go to him." I hear El's voice in my head. "You are no use to us injured. Go save your man." She tells me and I mentally agree.

I gather what little strength I have left seeping in my remaining blood and I push it all out, focusing on reality.

I close my eyes for a split second and when they open I'm back in the Creel house.

I look to Lucas with an urgent look in my eyes. He must recognize that look because he nods his head in understanding to silently tell me that he can handle this.

I waste no more time as I get in the car I drove here and make my way to Eddie's trailer.

Once I get there, I open the door to see a frantic looking Dustin, shouting Eddie's name.

"Dustin!!" I shout and his head spins around to face me. "What happened, where's Eddie?!?"

"He's trying to sacrifice himself." He says through sobs.

I look up at the ceiling and realize that the rope is cut. It's a good thing I have telekinetic abilities.

I place what's left of the rope as it was and climb my way over to the other side, landing smoothly on my feet. "Stay here, Dustin!" I warn, before running out of the upside down version of Eddie's trailer.

I look around and spot Eddie trying to fight off every single bat at a time. I don't hesitate to run.

I make my way over to him as fast as I can, considering I'm on the verge of dying, myself. I try to gather any little ounce of strength I may have left, but my powers are drained.

I know what I have to do.

Im almost at Eddie when I see a bat fly down to attack him. I don't hesitate and push him down while laying on top of him.

The bats pelt on my back and bite my sides.

If I wasn't already dying, I'm sure to be now.

I can feel Eddie struggling underneath me, trying to get out to protect me but I can't let him.

"Aaron, please!!" He sobs. "Please Aaron, don't do this!!!"

The tears roll down my face. Some from the pain of each bite, others from Eddie's desperate screams.

The bites stop suddenly and the bats fall to the ground, dead.

I slowly lift myself off of Eddie and lay down on my back.

There's a pain in my throat and I can't help but cough. Blood drips from my mouth, along with my stomach and head.

Eddie gathers me in his arms with tears in his eyes.

That's when we hear Dustin shouting for us. When he finally reaches us, his breathe gets caught in his throat.

He leans down and looks at me. That's when I know I'm not gonna make it.

"That bad, huh?" I joke, trying to lighten the mood.

It doesn't work.

Then I remember something.

"Dustin..." I trail off before breaking out into a coughing fit.

"Yes?" He responds immediately.

"Wh-who's Jesse Henderson?" I ask and if he's surprised by the question, he doesn't show it.

"She was my aunt." He says in between sobs. "S-she was beautiful b-but she died. I never got to meet her."

His aunt. Me and Dustin are cousins.

"S-she was my mother." I whisper hoarsely to him.

His eyes widen. "Y-You mean w-we're-"

"Cousins." I say, cutting him off.

More tears fall from both of our eyes as I look to Eddie.

"Y-You are everything to me." I manage to say through strangled coughs.

He breaks down into sobs. "Y-You have to l-look out for Dustin when I'm gone." I beg him and he shakes his head.

"No!" He shouts through tears. "No, no, no, no!! You're gonna look after him yourself, Aaron."

I place my hand on his cheek and try to wipe away his tears.

The tears I manage to get rid of are replaced by new ones.

"Promise me? Please!" I whimper out in pain.

He nods reluctantly.

"El and Max too?" I ask. "Max is gonna need you more than anyone Eddie. She'll push you away but I want you to promise me-" I interrupt myself as I loudly cough. "Promise me that you won't l-let her."

"I-I promise." He says shakily, his voice cracking.

"I love you, Eddie. I love you so much." I don't get to hear if he says it back because the next thing I know, my ears are ringing and my vision turns blurry.

My eyelids feel too heavy to keep open so I close them.

My breathing stops.

Pain.

Then it's gone...

...and so am I.

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Eddie's POV:

Numb.

I feel numb.

I don't think Aaron's death has fully sunk in yet.

When he took his final breathe I had let out an earth shattering scream.

Hours later all I felt was numbness.

I know he's dead; I saw it with my own eyes.

My heart doesn't agree.

I think I'm in denial but I'm not sure.

I've spent the past few days laying low at the Byers.

I've met Aaron's friends, Argyle and Jonathan. They're cool. We've been smoking weed together and getting high. It's how we deal with the grief.

Those two are the only two I have spoken to. I know that Aaron wanted me to look out for the kiddos but since my heart doesn't seem to believe he's dead, I've completely tricked myself into thinking that Aaron's got it covered.

Is it fair? Nope. Do I give a damn? Nope.