𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑶𝑻𝑯𝑬𝑹 𝑺𝑷𝒀 - Dustin Henderson

019. The Monster and the Superhero

THE NEXT DAY, CINDY WOKE UP WITH A LOT ON HER MIND. She couldn't get her head around the fact that he was back, it freaked her out. She's just glad Will is safe in California, hopefully. She wouldn't want him to go through any of this again.

The group had gone to get Eddie some breakfast because he wasn't allowed to leave and when they returned, they barged through the door, scaring the life out of Eddie. Cindy could tell he was still terrified, obviously, it's not like it's going away overnight.

They handed a cereal box and beer to Eddie and he sat inside the boat while the rest sat around it.

"So we got, uh, some good news and some bad news. How do you prefer it?" Dustin asked.

"Bad news first, always," Eddie replied, a mouthful of cereal.

"All right. Bad news. We tapped into the Hawkins PD dispatch with our Cerebro, and they're definitely looking for you. Also, they're, uh, pretty convinced you killed Chrissy," Dustin explained.

"Like, 100% kind of convinced," Max added.

"And the good news?" Eddie asked, hopeful.

"Your name hasn't gone public yet. But if we found out about you, it's a matter of time before others do. And once that gets out, everyone and their shallow-minded mother is gonna be gunning for you," Robin explained, not entirely helping the situation.

"Hunt the freak, right?"

"Exactly," Robin answers.

"So, before that happens, we find Vecna, kill him, and prove your innocence," Dustin said with confidence.

"Dustin, I hate to burst your bubble, but that's a terrible plan. Vecna is incredibly smart and sly," The group looked at her, confused as to how she knows that.

"And how do you know that?" Robin asks. Cindy quickly realised what she said and looked at each pair of eyes on her.

"Uh... I've met him..." She replied, slowly.

"What?" They all practically said in unison.

"What do you mean you've met him? It's not like you play DnD," Eddie scoffed, not understanding. The shed goes silent and he stops stuffing his face with cereal and realises what she meant. "Wait, you meant in real life? But how?"

"You don't know this, Eddie, but back in 1983, I went missing for 10 months." She began.

"Yeah, didn't you get kidnapped?" He questioned looking at the group, they didn't answer, just allowed Cindy to.

"That's what the government wanted you to think, I actually was trapped inside the Upside-down and it is not fun. I can tell you that for sure," she responded with a light chuckle.

Eddie glanced to the rest and they all nodded, backing up her story. "Listen, I know everything Dustin and Cindy are saying sounds totally delusional, but we've actually been through this before. I mean, they have a... a few times, and... and I have once. Mine was more human-flesh-based, theirs was more smoke-related. But bottom line is,
collectively, I really feel we got this," Robin said encouragingly.

"We relied on girls who had super powers. But, uh, one of them lost theirs, so now we have Cindy to protect us," Steve mentioned, standing behind his sister and placing his hands on her shoulders.

Eddie jerked his head to face Cindy, "you have superpowers?" She nodded. She held out her hand and grew a little flame from her palm. He stared at the blossoming flame mesmerised. "How'd you get them?"

She shrugged, closing her hand, "I don't know, I was just born with them."

"You can't really be born with them, there must be a reason, like maybe you were tested on," he wondered.