[trigger warning — death]

♥

STANDING CLOSE TO WHERE Dustin knelt, Ruby's eyes flickered between the red sky above them and Eddie's performance. Despite the pending doom that would descend on them, Ruby had a grin on her face as her head nodded along to the music.

The sound was disorientated for Ruby: in one ear, she had a headphone on with the quiet voice of Billy Joel still coming through; in the other was the metallic sound that boomed over the thunder.

While Ruby would never admit it to Eddie, but the music was growing on her — even more so to see Eddie performing as his head nodded along with no fear. Dustin had the binoculars as his eyes were on the sky, where the two prayed the distraction was enough.

Eventually, Dustin gasped as Ruby looked up, seeing the dark storm of bats approaching them.

"Eddie!" Dustin shouted in warning. "We gotta lock down in t-minus thirty seconds!"

Eddie nodded in response, but his fingers did not stop strumming.

Though, as the bats became closer, Ruby found her heart tightening in fear.

"T-minus twenty!"

Knowing that time was limited, Eddie's fingers quickened, taking what few last seconds of the moment he could get. Once they survived, this would be something to remember.

"T-minus ten!"

Ruby pulled the headphones down from her ears, eyes stuck on Eddie performing more than the bats.

"Five!"

With seconds left, Eddie finished up the song, truly stealing the moment.

"One!"

The song finished, music echoing, but they had no time to sit in the moment.

"Let's go! Let's go!" Ruby shouted.

There was chaos between the three with the two jumping down from the trailer with Ruby following, relieved that Eddie paused to help her — if she screwed up her leg again now, then they were truly fucked.

Shouts erupted between them that didn't drown out the descending storm of the bats. They were quick to enter their own built protection with the cage door shutting behind them. It literally came down to the last second for them as the bats hit the cage, screeching with their teeth bared, but they were unable to reach them.

"Hurry! Come on!"

Safe (for now), the three rushed into the trailer with the door closing behind them before the bats broke through. For a second, they could breathe as they panted.

"Dude," Dustin responded. "Most metal ever!"

Then, the three were screaming, finding the brief flare of fear evaporated with their enthusiasm for the moment taking over. Ruby was grinning, practically bouncing on the spot, never having thought she'd be cheering over metal music.

"Still my groupie?" Eddie asked Ruby after, smiling at her.

"After that," said Ruby. "I'll always be your groupie."

Perhaps still caught up in the moment, Eddie's hand cupped Ruby's cheek as he kissed her. Though, while Ruby sunk into the kiss, she felt guilty too, hating that she was split between two, knowing it was unfair on them.

Yet, with Eddie, it always came with a burst of energy that Ruby never wanted to lose.

But, Dustin had coughed, smirking as the two pulled away to look at him.

"Don't mind me," said Dustin. "Or the swarm of bats outside trying to kill us!"

"Sorry, Dustybun," Ruby teased the boy.

Dustin's smirk vanished, but they didn't have time to get into it. The screeches outside became worse as the three were quick to pick up their shields and spears, knowing that anything could still go wrong. Then, with their backs together, they circled the trailer as the bats tried to get in.

Though neither of the three were ready for the metal to stop clanging and for the bats to stop screeching. It went too quiet, the kind of quiet that Ruby could not trust.

"Hey, dipshits!" Dustin shouted. "Give up that easy, huh?"

"Shut up," whispered Ruby.

"Shh!" Eddie hushed the young teenager too. "Was that really necessary?"

There was a clatter that came from above them as Ruby's head titled, wide eyes falling on the roof. Ruby's fingers tightened around the spear, praying that she would have no need to use it.

"They're on the roof," Eddie stated.

"Shit, shit, shit," Dustin whispered.

Slowly, the three crept forward as they followed the sound, unknowing if they could get through or not. Ruby's eyes fell on a vent, wondering if the bats would be smart enough to try.

"They can't get in through there, can they?" Dustin questioned.

Though, the answer Dustin received was a bat breaking through the event. The sound, as well as the sight of the demonic bat, caused Ruby to jump. Then, the three shrieked with Dustin being the first to stab at the hole of the vent, catching the bat. Following him, Eddie and Ruby joined, hoping it would be enough to detain them.

"Die! Die! Die!"

Over the bats screeches and their own cries, there was the violent noises of the sharp blades piercing the monsters each time. Ruby's eyes were stuck on the bats, seeing their razor sharp teeth as it fuelled her fear to keep attacking.

How long they could do this for, Ruby did not have a clue, but they had no choice. If they stopped now, then they truly would die. But, to their surprise, Eddie had stopped with Ruby terrified.

"Eddie, what are you doing?" Ruby snapped.

"We need you!" Dustin added.

"Get out of the way!" Eddie shouted at them. "Get out of the way!"

The two puled backwards, pausing in their attack as Ruby's eyes were on Eddie. He had the shield in his hands as he screeched, pulling his arm backwards before using the fource of his strength to block the vent hole with the shield. The spikes of the shield ended up stuck in the ceiling of the trailer with the nails keeping it rooted, blocking the bats from getting in.

For a second, Ruby felt like she could breathe again, though she was panting from exhaustion and the fear.

"Holy shit," Eddie panted, turning back to the two. "Holy shit."

"Nice," said Dustin.

"Thanks," Eddie replied.

The two shared a high-five as Ruby's eyes remained on the ceiling, worried that it was not the end. Of course, the bats were still outside as they started to screech again.

"Hey, Eddie," said Ruby. "Do you have any other vents?"

"Oh, shit," Eddie's voice was barely there as he realised.

Then, with that, Eddie was running in the direction of his bedroom as he muttered the word 'shit' repeatedly. Both Ruby and Dustin followed, heading into the small bedroom as the bats broke through the vent.

"Shit!" Eddie shouted as an arm pushed the two behind him back out before he was quick to close the door.

On the other side, the bats collided with the door, where it was enough to stop them for now, but the door would not hold. The swarm of bats were thrashing themselves against the wood as it started to splinter, causing the three to back up towards the living area.

Eddie picked up a spare shield as Ruby blocked Dustin.

"That's not gonna hold!" Dustin shouted.

"Start climbing," Ruby's voice rose, instructing Dustin. "Now!"

"Let's go! Let's go," Eddie chanted too.

Dustin grunted, not wasting a second as he was pulling himself up the rope.

"Ruby go," Eddie told her as Dustin reached the top. "I'll be right behind you."

With wide eyes, Ruby nodded before she was climbing up the rope herself too, trying to be as quick as she could. As her body passed through to the other side, gravity pulled her downwards as she landed on the mattress with a thud.

Though, looking up, her eyes were stuck on Eddie, who had not started climbing yet.

"Eddie, come on!" Dustin shouted through to him.

Ruby stood, making way for Eddie to come through. Her heart pounded, relieved as Eddie dropped the shield, finally grabbing the rope as he prepared himself to climb. Though, her breathing stilled as Eddie paused.

"Eddie!" Ruby yelled. "Come on!"

"Eddie, you're so close," Dustin encouraged. "Eddie! Let's go!"

But Eddie let go of the rope as Ruby's heart dropped.

"Eddie," Ruby's voice shook. "Please. Don't be stupid."

"Eddie!" Dustin cried out.

The man was not listening to them as he picked up his spear and shield again. Whatever Eddie had planned, it was foolish and crazy with Ruby furious.

"I'm going back," Ruby decided, taking hold of the rope again to pull herself through.

"What are you doing?" Dustin demanded to Eddie. "Eddie, no!"

With a shirek, Eddie used the spear to cut the rope with a yell as it fell. Ruby's face paled as she stared down at her only hope to get to Eddie before she looked up at him.

"Eddie, please," Ruby pleaded.

Dustin had his hands on his head. "Eddie, stop. Stop. Stop. Stop."

But each repetition of the word did not get through to Eddie as he had moved the mattress out of the way, completely stopping them from safely getting through.

"Eddie, what are you doing?" Dustin screeched.

"I'm buying more time," Eddie answered.

For a brief second, Eddie's eyes met Ruby's as she shook her head, pleading with him not to go through with it. But, Eddie was gone, leaving Dustin crying out after him.

"I'm gonan kill him," Ruby muttered, feeling angry and betrayed.

It was not part of the plan. Eddie was acting recklessly, putting his life at risk when he had not need to. So, Ruby would go find him and drag him back to the normal world before she shouted at him.

First, though: "Dustin, move the mattress."

"What are you—"

But Dustin had fallen silent as Ruby's hands had fallen onto a chair, knowing it would be a miracle for the two smaller ones to be able to get through the gate. Listening to Ruby, Dustin was quick to push the mattress out of the way as she put the chair in place.

"I'll go," Dustin offered

"No," Ruby told him. "You might be used to all this shit, but I'm still older than you. Can you just hold the chair in place?"

Dustin nodded in agreement, though he didn't look happy about being bossed about by someone he barely knew. Still, Dustin held the chair for Ruby as she stood further back, bracing herself to run at the chair before using it to spring upwards.

"Here goes nothing," Ruby muttered.

Then, with adrenaline fueling her, Ruby charged at the chair with a trapped yell in her lungs. Dustin's hands kept the chair firmly in place as Ruby used it to jump, hands grabbing hold of the edge of the gate. It was slimy and cold under her hands as Ruby felt the weight shift the more she pulled herself through.

But, gravity won in the end as Ruby was falling, landing on her already bad leg. There was a crack as Ruby felt her lungs squeeze with a pained cry. It was all too familiar with Ruby unknowing if it was in her head or actually happening.

Underneath her, the Walkman had been crushed with Billy Joel no longer playing.

Ruby's hands shook as her body turned, already crying, mind stuck in the belief that she was back in the car crash. Trembly fingers reached to her leg, finding no wetness of blood or bone sticking out.

"Ruby!" Dustin's voice echoed through. "Ruby!"

Looking upwards, Ruby met Dustin's wide gaze through the gate.

Seeing him broke the moment of hysteria, knowing that this was really happening and that Eddie was still foolishly in danger.

"Move to the side," Dustin shouted.

Not having a choice, Ruby dragged herself to the side, unknowing how much she had screwed up her leg again. Ruby tried moving the mattress into place for Dustin, but it was too heavy when she couldn't stand on both legs.

"Don't do what I did," Ruby told him.

Dustin's head nodded before he disappeared from view. There was a loud yell of a battle cry as he charged at the chair, landing between the gates as he struggled to find the strength to pull himself through. Dustin grunted, body falling as he landed awkwardly on his ankle too.

"Shit," Ruby panicked. "Shit. Shit. Shit."

This was why they weren't heroes.

"It's just a sprain," Dustin reassured. "What about yours?"

"It doesn't matter," Ruby decided.

An injury was not going to keep her from saving Eddie. The past was not going to repeat itself — Ruby would not let anyone else she loved die.

Between the two, they helped each other stand. As Ruby put pressure on her leg, her teeth ground together at the pain. The tears blurred her vision, but she forced herself to limp towards Eddie.

In each free hand, Dustin and Ruby held a spear as they limped.

"Eddie?" Ruby cried out.

Hearing the swarm of bats caused the two to pause as their eyes fell on the brewing storm. Ruby's heart stuttered to a stop, knowing that's where Eddie was.

"Eddie!" Dustin shouted next to Ruby.

It felt forever Ruby as she struggled to reach Eddie on her injured leg. But, the fear Ruby felt was enough to numb the pain, where the tears stained her cheeks and her eyes stayed on the hurricane of bats.

As they reached the gates, Ruby finally spotted Eddie in the eye of the storm. A bat had its tail wrapped around his neck, starting to choke him.

"Eddie!"

While Dustin was vocal with his hysteria, Ruby had become mute. Last time, screaming and crying had not saved her father. All Ruby had to do was get to Eddie and somehow save him from the monsters, but she feared it would be too late.

Desperate, Ruby forced herself to speed up, though her leg could not take the weight. Eddie was pinned down by the bats as Ruby's eyes were too glossy to see what came next.

Maybe this was all in Ruby's mind; if Vecna was torturing her, then she hoped that the death would come swiftly. Though, Ruby knew this was happening.

Though, as the two reached the chaos, they both stopped in shock. From the sky, the bats wailed as if they were in pain. Then, they dropped from the air, crashing to the ground as they did not move again. Their death was far too sudden, marking it a true miracle.

But Ruby remembered that everything in the Upside Down was connected, so perhaps the others had succeeded in killing Vecna with the bats now being dead.

Eyes falling downwards, they fell on Eddie's body as she was not sure if he was moving or not. There was a flash of Ruby's dad's body in her mind, his last words of her name forever haunting her.

They reached the scene with Dustin hobbling and Ruby dragging her leg. Eddie was on the floor, where even in the dark, Ruby could see the crimson colour. There was flesh missing from his skin as Ruby's stomach churned, heart already breaking.

"Eddie?" Ruby questioned, voice so quiet.

As her knees gaveway, Ruby pulled herself to where he laid. Eddie choked on blood, trying to move at the sound of her voice.

"Hey, I'm here," Ruby told him, voice frightful. "We're both here."

"Oh God," cried Dustin, kneeling close. "Oh God, Eddie."

"Bad, huh?" Eddie questioned.

"No, no, no," Dustin panicked. "You're gonna be fine."

"We'll get you some help," Ruby promised, leaning over him. "Okay? We'll get you to a hospital."

"Okay," Eddie agreed.

"Dustin help me get him up," Ruby instructed.

"All right," said Dustin, hysterical. "All right."

Ruby's hands folded beneath Eddie's head, trying to help Eddie sit up as Dustin supported her. At the movement, Eddie started to choke on blood again.

"I think I just..." Eddie struggled to speak. "I think I just need a second, okay?"

"Okay," Dustin agreed.

They paused with Ruby holding Eddie in her arms, where her own legs were sprawled to the side, completely forgotten for the moment. Ruby felt the sting of tears, hating where her mind was heading, where she wanted to fight the inevitable.

"Eddie..." Ruby whispered his name like a prayer, hoping for a miracle.

His dark irises held hers, where there was a pained, cracked smile on his fake that was like a hammer to Ruby's heart. "I didn't run away this time, right?"

Opposite Ruby, Dustin started to sob.

"You didn't run," Ruby told him, knowing she was falling to pieces. "You didn't have to be a hero, Eddie," she whispered, needing him to know. "You had already saved me."

"I got us more time, didn't I?" Eddie responded before his eyes fell on Dustin, where Ruby knew what was happening, but didn't want to accept it. "You're gonna have to look after those little sheep for me, okay? That includes Ruby."

"No, you're gonna do that yourself," Dustin told him.

"Nah, man," said Eddie. "Say, 'I'm gonna look after them'. Say it."

Dustin was crying, unable to speak that made it even harder for Ruby. All she could think of was her little brother and how she never wanted him to experience something like this. Dustin didn't deserve this darkness.

"I'm..." Dustin struggled. "I'm gonna look after them."

"Good," said Eddie. "'Cause I'm actually gonna graduate," there was a weak chuckle as he looked at Ruby again, where she found a watery smile. "I'm gonna get the girl too. This is my year. It's finally my year."

Ruby found a sob burning deep inside her as Eddie's body trembled in her arms. "Please, Eddie," she cried. "I can't..."

"It's okay," Eddie calmed her, keeping his eyes focused, though the words were becoming tougher. "I should have been braver and gone to that stupid party...Loving you wasn't scary at all."

Ruby's lips parted as a tear fell from Eddie's eye. His irises became still — just like the rest of his body. Holding him was heavy and stiff as Ruby felt the sob break free.

"Eddie?" Ruby choked on his name.

The only response was Dustin's cries as Ruby stared at Eddie, hoping that he would wake up. Her fingers rose, shaking slightly as she touch his face, finding the warmth already fading.

"Eddie, please," whispered Ruby. "Come back."

It was cruel and unfair as Eddie Munson deserved so much better.

With no response, Ruby finally felt her heart cave in as she broke down, cradling Eddie's dead body in her arms. The cry tore at her throat, still not used to the pain of grief after everything. As her eyes crinkled shut, she placed a kiss on Eddie's forehead.

"I did love you too," Ruby confessed to his ghost. "I wish I hadn't been scared."

It had happened unexpectedly during the repetitive hook ups. What had started so casual had ended up with Eddie staying or the two hanging together, oblivious to the surge of feelings. Eddie had been enough to crack his way into Ruby's heart, giving her a few hours to forget about her best friend, who did not love her.

And yet, when Ruby had tried, it had come crashing down. All they had was barley a couple of weeks with Ruby returning — a few days at most of those feelings returning. Now, everything had been stolen that included Eddie's life.

A loud crack caused Ruby to look up from where she had been crying, still unable to let go of Eddie's body. She briefly shared a look with Dustin before their eyes fell on the trailer park, witnessing the park tear itself to pieces as the gate widened, destroying Eddie's trailer. Red glowed like lava gushing, but the gates were still.

"Shit," said Dustin.

The gate split close by to them, where they were lucky enough to not be in it's pathway. Seeing it, the two came to the realisaiton that maybe they had lost with the final gate opening.

Dustin gasped. "Max?"

Ruby could not take another loss. After everything, if they had failed, then it had all been for nothing.

Though, not long later, Steve, Nancy, and Robin returned to find the three. Hearing them, Ruby's head had risen from Eddie again, spotting the three as they stilled in the realisation on what had happened.

"We lost, didn't we?" Ruby questioned.

Steve remained silent, but the answer was there.

It only made the loss so much worse. But, for Ruby, the worst part came when Steve had to pull her away from Eddie's body.

The curse of Ruby had struck again.

♥

Nahh I'm too sad😭 I feel bad for taking Dustin's moment but oh well. Eddie honestly deserved so much better. There's one chapter left that is sad but you'll love it too!