Eddie's Girl

Chapter Twenty Four

Steve

"Okay, we have to be ready!" I cried, as we all tried to prepare ourselves.

The war had begun.

I watched as Kas began to stalk Quinn, before I saw the demo dogs approaching.

"Demo dogs!" I shouted.

"I see them!" Hopper shouted, shooting at them.

Quinn's resolve and bravery was astounding, like nothing I'd ever seen.

"I will never want you. And I will never be yours." I heard her shout as her shield collided with his sword.

They were toe to toe, locked together by shield and sword as she shoved him backwards.

"I know he's still in there somewhere. And I am his." She spat, as a demo dog advanced towards us.

She took an expert swing towards it with her boat oar and it shattered into pieces upon impact with its jaws.

And for a moment, I saw fear in her eyes as I saw Vecna behind her.

She slowly turned around, and his hand immediately clasped around her throat.

"Quinn!" I cried, trying to get to her.

"Stop....." she choked out.

"All you've ever done is defy me." He said to her.

"Defied me and tried to make a fool out of me." He continued.

And I watched Quinn's eyes begin to roll backwards into her head, as the ground rumbled under our feet.

"What are you doing?" He asked her.

"I said..... I said stop." She spluttered.

"Die......." He said, through gritted teeth as she suddenly brought her knees upwards and kicked out, her feet hitting him square in the chest.

Vecna stumbled backwards in surprise, and cried out in frustration.

"I SAID STOP!!" Quinn shouted, holding her hand out, the other breaking her fall as she stumbled to the ground. Her eyes were fixed on him, as she seemed to almost will him to stop.

"Stop Henry!" She cried, hearing him roar out loud.

His feet left the ground and he was lifted into the air, suspended.

"What are you doing?!" I heard him cry as she slowly rose to her feet.

Vecna was hanging in the air, his arms down by his side, his head tilted back, fighting against some kind of force.

I realised quite quickly that the force, that force, was Quinn herself.

I knew she had power.... But this.... This was something I hadn't expected; none of us had.

"New girl, how are you doing this?" I shouted, dumbfounded.

"Steve- How is she?!" Nancy said, in disbelief.

"No, it all makes sense now!" Dustin yelled.

"Remember! This is how she could always reach Eddie!" He added.

"Who are you?" Vecna asked her.

"You aren't taking him from me. I won't let you." Quinn said, defiantly.

"Eddie, listen to me! You have to come back, like we said. Always come back to me. Always." She shouted at Kas.

She turned back to Vecna, her hand still outstretched very similar to Eleven and she was single handedly holding him back.

With what power, I didn't know - I couldn't say.

But she was.
This was more than the window and the mirror.

" I knew you had some kind of power..... But how are you doing this?" He asked her, surprised.

"With something you were always shown, but could never give. Something you have always been devoid of. A small little construct within human nature that has escaped you, your entire life. Something you will never show, or have. Because you do not deserve it." She said, standing strong and with an admirable resolve.

"What are you doing?" He roared at her.

"Love, Henry. It's Love. It's always been love. Between friends, between each other, for each other. We love and we care. And we will always stick together. That's why you don't understand it. You've never been capable of it." Quinn said.

Then Eleven stood by Quinn's side and outstretched her hand too.

"You have the power. Use it." She said to Quinn.

"You can do this. I can do this with you.." Eleven added.

We were all there, watching her and Eleven fight Vecna, and for once in our lives, we could finally see fear in his eyes.

"You can do this, Quinn....." Eleven said to Quinn.

Quinn turned to Eddie, who was by Vecna's side and in a desperate plea, she cried out to him.

"Eddie! Remember what we said. You don't want this, you don't. We all love you. Remember, we said we'd always come back to each other, no matter what. Whatever it takes, Eddie. It's time to come back. It's time." She called out.

Eddie turned to her, his mouth turned upwards in a snarl and his eyes were a burning red.

"That is NOT my name." He spat, with rage.

We watched as they flickered back to the familiar dark brown that we knew and for a moment, Eddie was there.

"Come back, Eddie. Come back." Quinn pleaded.

"You will not win." Vecna warned.

"We've won all this time." Eleven said, her other hand now outstretched.

Vecna rose in the air and struggled against Eleven.

"Sing Quinn, sing." Dustin called out.

"It's too late for that." She cried.

"It's never too late." I shouted, tightening my grip on the baseball bat in my hands.

"I need to get to him." Quinn said, torn.

"Go." Eleven ordered.

And that's when I saw Quinn break into a sprint towards Eddie, who instinctively crouched, ready for her to reach him.

She reached out for him and grabbed onto his jacket, as they both swung around and crashed onto the floor.

Eddie pinned her to the ground and she grappled against him, as he fought her.

Eleven closed her eyes and we saw Vecna's head forced upright as she connected with his mind.

I heard the flapping of wings behind us and I eyed everyone around me.

"This is it guys, he's gonna throw everything at us. We can do this, we protect each other, got it? We fight and we don't give up!" I shouted as everyone braced themselves.

The bats were coming......