Shot In The Dark - An Eddie Munson & Y/N Story

19 ~ Ready For BATtle

With the embarrassment of our earlier indiscretion sworn to secrecy from the younger ones in our group, nobody brought it up after Eddie and I emerged from the bedroom like a pair of naughty school children. Over the next hour or so I watched at they bickered and squabbled about how to proceed with the "next part of the plan" - still not fully aware of what their plan was, until Dustin turned to me with a look of pleading curiosity. "If Y/N can get out... then surely she can get in again... with the rest of us?" he pondered, all eyes turning to me with the same curiosity. I'd never told anyone how I was able to get in and out of the Upside Down despite all previous gateways being closed. I'm not proud of how I'd get the gates to open, and I'd swore to myself after everything I felt yesterday that I wouldn't do it again. Gates would open willingly, allowing me to pass from the Upside Down to Hawkins, that's the easy part. But the only way I can get the return gates to open is in the same way the Demogorgans and Vecna used to... they open at the sight of an attack or a kill, but would usually close after a day or so, enough time to ensure I'd fed or done whatever deed my master had set me, giving me enough time to return below. I hadn't had a successful kill or hunt in a few days which meant gates were basically nonexistent right now, and I wasn't about to slaughter another person for the purposes of opening another one.

"No. No I can't, I won't." I shook my head as I protested to the thought of not only sharing with them how the gates open, but having to complete the act in which to open them, "Y/N... we don't know any other way to get in otherwise, please... we need you." Dustin pleaded as he knelt in front of me as I sat on the dusty couch next to Eddie. Everyone could clearly see what an issue this was for me and how I felt hatred for myself at the thought of helping them this way, but they still begged and pleaded nonetheless. I broke and told them how the gates open and close, they followed my sobbing words with wide eyes and gaping mouths, some looking more horrified than others. Eddies grasp around my shoulders tightened as he sat in absolute silence as I confessed the shameful way I would pass so seemingly freely between worlds. "No, nuh uh. Nope. She's not doing it. No way, there's gotta be another way. But not this way!" Eddie was firm but angry at their suggestion of making me do this, he felt everything I did last night in the woods as I screamed in anguish at all the things I'd done without control. He heard the screams as I woke from horrifying nightmares of my beastly actions, the way I'd sobbed into his chest as I recounted watching each attack, helplessly screaming internally to stop. His vow to protect me grew stronger from the moment saw me in the woods last night.

"But the person doesn't have to die for a gateway to open? Right?" I didn't like where Nancy was going with this, but she was painfully right. I shamefully nodded which prompted the room to congregate in a strategic conversation of who would be the bait for the planned attack to open a gateway, neglecting to ask how I felt about being the weapon in this obscene plan. "Hey, you okay?" Eddie whispers, being the only person in the room not planning my fate behind my back, "Uhh, not really, no." I sighed into a light chuckle. Eddie pulled me into his warm chest, the only place I ever felt safe and secure, my fingers trace circles over the dressing on his collarbone, still embarrassed about what I'd done, terrified it could happened again - especially if I go along with my friends plan.

- Eddie POV -
I stepped outside for a smoke while everyone else continued talking strategy and game-plan for getting a gateway open, I wanted to bring Y/N with me but it's not dark out yet and we have no idea if the whole vampire vs sunlight thing applies to her current situation. Finishing the first smoke, I wasted no time in lighting up another - chain smoking seemed to be a habit I'd developed since losing Y/N last year. Part way into the second smoke I heard the door of the cabin creak open as Harrington stepped outside, rubbing his hands over his face like something was frustrating him. "You look how I feel, man!" I jested, grabbing his attention as he chuckled and nodded his way over to the decking I was standing on. "Steve, can I be totally straight with you right now?" I didn't wanna share the intimate secrets of this afternoon with anyone, but I thought it might help him understand the reluctancy I had with this plan to open a gate. He nodded and turned to give me his full attention, this was not gonna be easy to share.