METANOIA | Eddie Munson

The Massacre at Hawkins Lab, Part 1

3rd Person's POV

"You good?" Valerie started coughing as soon as Eddie dragged her out of the water. He stood up and offered her a hand, considering the situation they were in she took it without a second thought.

That's when he saw Steve on the ground, a bat-like creature choking him.

They were everywhere, in fact. While Eddie and Nancy tried to keep them from getting too close, Valerie helped Robin pull the fucker away from Steve. Robin yanked it off and slammed it on the ground, "Val!"

Valerie stepped on it's head and twisted her foot until it was crushed into the ground.

"Henderson!-" Eddie yelled just in time for her to duck, "Come on, you son of a bitch!" He hit it with his paddle, "I said come on! Let's go!"

The fighting went on for about a minute more, before Steve grabbed the last of them, and literally tore it in half.

"Jesus fucking Christ." Eddie cursed and walked the other way.

"Steve, are you okay?" Nancy put a hand on his shoulder.

"Well they took about a pound of flesh, but other than that, yeah, never better." Steve said, panting.

"Hey, atleast Dustin would be proud of you." Valerie said.

"Yeah, he would, wouldn't he?" Steve grinned.

"Uh, do you guys think these bats have, like, rabies?" Robin let out a nervous chuckle, shining her flashlight on the intestines of one.

"What?"

"It's just that rabies are, like, my number one greatest fear and I think we should probably get you to a doctor really soon. Because once the symptoms set in, it's too late. You're already dead." She shook her head frantically.

"Can that actually happen?" Eddie widened his eyes and walked over to Robin, "Cause I think I got a teeny tiny little scratch right here-"

"You'll be doing all of us a favour if you die, now shut up." Valerie swatted his arm away, noticing a group of bats forming in front of them. They did not look happy.

"Ouch..." Eddie mumbled to himself, rubbing his arm.

"Okay, they're not that many." Steve nodded, "We can take 'em... right?"

There were a swarm of these creatures incoming, the increasingly chittering noices told them so.

"You were saying?" Robin said.

Nancy turned around, "The woods! Come on."

Everyone ran after her without question. They hid underneath a huge boulder, patiently waiting it out. It seemed to be working because the bats were passing by without noticing them.

Once all of them were gone they emerged from underneath it.

"Okay, that was close." Robin said.

"Yeah, too close." Eddie said.

"Oh, sh... shit." Steve stumbled against the rock, losing his balance.

"Steve?" Nancy ran over to him, "Jesus-"

"I'm fine. I'm fine."

"No. No, no, no you're not. You're losing blood. Come on, sit."

Steve sits and removes his hand from the wound, and everyone goes quiet. It was pulsating. Moving.

Valerie thought she was going to throw up.

Robin nervously laughed again, "Good news, wooziness is not a symptom of rabies. But if you start having hallucinations or muscle spasms or you start feeling agressive, like you wanna punch me please let me know."

"Robin... I kinda wanna punch you."

Valerie and Robin let out a chuckle, "Atleast humour's still intact."

Nancy tore a piece of her cloth and took over.

"How do you even know so much about rabies?" Valerie srunched her eyebrows at Robin.

"You never know when it might come in handy."

"Huh."

"So uh, this place is like Hawkins but with monsters and nasty shit right?" Eddie captures all of their attentions.

"Pretty much." Nancy helps Steve stand up, draping one of his arms over her shoulder.

"Hey, watch out for the vines." Valerie holds the collar of his jacket and pulls him back to keep him from stepping on one, "They're a hive mind."

Eddie gives her a confused look.

She sighs, "Everything around here, they're all one. If one knows you're here, all of them do. You step on a vein, you're practically stepping over Vecna."

"Cool."

"This place is just Hawkins without the people right?" Robin asks.

Valerie nods.

"So, we could go to the police station and steal guns and grenades and whatever we want, right?"

"I highly doubt the Hawkins PD has grenades, Robin." Steve shook his head, "But guns, yeah."

"We don't have to go all that way. I have guns in my bedroom." Nancy says.

"You, Nancy Wheeler," Eddie jumped down from a rock, "have guns, plural, in your bedroom?"

If Valerie had one right now, she would certainly shoot him.

"Full of surprises isn't she?" Robin grins.

"A Russian Makarov and a revolver."

"You almost shot me with that one." Steve smiled.

"You almost deserved it man." Valerie stood beside him and leaned on his shoulder.

"For your modesty, dude." Eddie walked towards them and threw his jacket at Steve, which hit Valerie square in the face.

Eddie gulped, ready to face her wrath when the ground beneath their feet started to shake. Valerie was about to fall over, before Eddie grabbed her and pulled her against him, backing up to lean against a tree.

His instincts always focused on saving his own ass, now they seemed to be working for Valerie instead. As long as she was safe, right?