A WANTED WOMAN

☀︎

WALKING THE DARK WOODS OF HAWKINS, THE GROUP FOLLOWED THE COMPASS UNTIL THEY HIT WATER. Holding herself to shield the chill of the night, Robin Buckley shuddered as her eyes looked out to Lover's Lake. Seeing the chill of her friend, Alex reached her arms around, holding Robin Buckley tight as the group gathered at the shoreline. Resting her head against hers, they waited for further instruction on how to handle heading to a gate that led them to Lover's Lake.

Crossing her arms, Max scrunched up her face in confusion. "There's a gate in Lover's Lake?" It was unlike any other gate the group had come across. This time there was no Hawkins Lab or secret Russian base underground— it was something as simple as sitting on the bottom of the lake.

"Yeah, I can..." Alex furrowed her brows together as she observed the water carefully. "I can feel its pull. There's definitely something out there."

"Yeah, why don't we get out there and find out," Steve offered as he moved beside her. Placing a hand on her back, he moved in closer, hoping she would allow him to stay beside her. Often she pulled away from his attempts due to her fear of letting him too close to her, and still this time she didn't pull away. Rather, she unwrapped an arm from Robin and instead held them both close to her.

Offering up a way out onto the lake, Eddie directed everyone's attention to a boat that was pulled up on land. It was small and certainly unable to fit them all. Though it was not something they planned so late in the night, they were going to be forced to split up.

Taking a tarp off the boat, Eddie revealed their way out there. He was hesitant about the situation, but running now wasn't an option. These people came to him when he thought he was alone and to leave them would go against everything they ever did for him. Starting to nudge the boat towards the water, he took notice of the lack of effort the others offered to help him. Looking over his shoulder, he gave Steve a look. "Hey, mind, uh, holding the ladies another time and help me get this thing in the water?"

Quickly flustered, Steve moved his arm away from Alex and brushed his hands off to get straight to work. Looking at one another, Robin and Alex exchanged amused smiles while the boys prepped their way into the water.

Seeing that their numbers were going to be split, Alex looked at the three kids that stood further back, craning their necks for a look at the boys getting the boat into the water. Somehow, they believed the two would mess it up and they'd be forced to swim their way out there. Unwrapping her arms from Robin, Alex turned to block their view of the water before them. "No way you three are coming."

"Oh, come on," Lucas groaned. Extending a hand out, he gestured to the water in front of them. "There's a gate out there!"

"Exactly why you stay," she stated.

"Dude, someone was murdered out there and it's... it's dark! Something could be out there that could get you. And some... some pretty big fish so if you fall in... they could bite you. Not to mention you're probably shit at swimming so... you could... you could drown!"

Narrowing her eyes at him, Alex felt the corners of her lips turn up. "Are you trying to scare me, Sinclair? And I can swim. What do you think I did all summer at the pool?"

"I-I just think it's a bad idea," he said with his head held high. "What if Vecna swims out of the gate and grabs you? That's some Jason Voorhees shit."

Alex pursed her lips together, sending him a small glare. The comparisons of horror movies to her life started to get under her skin and even Dustin shifted in his spot anxiously at the mention of it. Licking her lips, she decided it was best to ignore him and grab her backpack from Max. "Don't do anything stupid," she instructed the three. "I want to come back to you three standing right here in perfect condition."

"Yes, Alex," Lucas and Dustin spoke in unison, hanging their heads in disappointment. Max looked at the two in surprise that they were so easy to give in. "Seriously? Are you children?"

"Yeah, you all are," Alex spoke over her. "Stay here and don't be total shits, okay? We'll be right back." Reaching out, she took the compass and radio from Dustin's hands. "You'll get these back, I swear." Placing her hand on the top of his head, she was cautious to leave him behind. Leaving Dustin meant that there was no way she could protect him by any means. Removing her hand from him took everything in her, but it also meant he wasn't following her towards a gate leading straight to hell.

Swallowing hard, she turned back to the boat to find the rest waiting inside. The first to stand up was Eddie as he extended a helping hand in her direction. "Alexandra, it'd be an honor for you to join us."

Taking his hand, she climbed into the boat alongside them and moved to a seat between Robin and Eddie. Rubbing her hands together, she grew anxious to be heading out into the dark waters for a potential gate that left an opening to the Upside Down as well as an opening for Vecna to venture into Hawkins. Turning her eyes up to Robin, she gave a quick smile and nod of her head, proving she was ready for this adventure. Had anyone thought it was too much for her, she'd be forced to stay back with the kids, left to watch and wait.

Pushing the boat off into the water, Steve shook off the water from his shoe before sitting down with a heavy sigh beside Nancy. Holding a hand out, Nancy took the compass from Alex as Eddie and Robin paddled them out into the open water.

Craning her neck, Robin smiled brightly as she called out to the three left on shore. "Bedtime at nine, kiddos!" Seeing as Dustin gave the five the middle finger, she decided to get further under his skin as she stood tall, waving goodbye. "Miss you already!"

The further they ventured out, all Alex could do was watch the three standing on land, most likely pouting and complaining that they were the ones left behind. Though they stood exactly where they were told, she feared that if she took her eyes off for one second they'd disappear into the woods and she'd be left to panic the entire way back onto land.

Popping his head into her view, Steve gave her a large smile and a small wave of his hand. "Hello? Earth to Henderson?" Dropping his hand back into his lap, he glanced over his shoulder at the bunch before looking at her once more. "They're gonna be fine. They got nothing else to do besides wait."

"Dustin'll find something to get his hands on," Alex mumbled. Finally forcing her eyes off the view, she looked at him with a halfhearted smile. "Sorry, I can't help but worry. They're just such shits."

"Max has her music," Nancy reassured with a smile. "If anything, I assume Dustin and Lucas will just annoy her to death or she'll kill them for annoying her. They're probably just as worried about us."

"Not a chance," Eddie scoffed, listening in on the conversation. "Henderson? No way. Red? Not a chance. Sinclair... now he's a maybe. They sure as hell won't behave like you're expecting either. It's in their nature to be huge assholes and go against everything you told them."

Turning in her seat, Alex sent him a glare, "Thanks, man. Really know how to make people feel better, huh?"

Rolling his head over, he gave her a sarcastic smile and batted his eyes teasingly, "Anything for you, sweetheart."

"Okay, wow," she mumbled as she looked back at Steve and Nancy. Leaning forward, she asked a question she hoped he'd listen in on as well. "If we push him in, you think anyone would care?"

"I'd like to see you try," Eddie called over to her. "You put your hands on me, I take you down with me. No way in hell am I getting in this water again. Certainly not because of you, Alexandra. Last person I'd get in for, but the first person I'd like to drown, that's for sure."

"Drown me and see what happens," Alex fought back.

"Yeah? What'll happen? Gonna get your girls to attack me? Not afraid, thanks anyways."

Laying a hand on Alex's knee, Nancy reacted quickly to prevent her from continuing a battle with Eddie. Her fear mainly lied with the two pushing one another over to prove a point and despite her confidence, Alex would lose to Eddie and be left to swim back. The last thing Nancy needed or wanted was another added problem to one that seemed entirely too large as is. "Will you two shut up, please?" Nancy questioned. Tightening her grip on the compass, she watched as the needled danced around, zipping in every direction from the pull of the gate beneath. Holding it for the group to see, she instructed Eddie and Robin to come to a stop.

Below in the dark waters of Lover's Lake had lurked an opening to another world, threatening to split open and swallow Hawkins whole. Just beyond the mouth lay another world, a world that Vecna had made his very own, awaiting the arrival of the group floating above.

Taking notice of the group out in the water coming to a stop, Dustin fumbled for his radio to find some answers. "Guys, what's going on?" When silence was returned, he brought his radio back up to his mouth. "Come on, guys, talk to me."

Tearing her eyes off the compass, Robin was left curiously in shock. Picking the radio up from the bottom of the boat, she spoke into it, "Uh, Dustin, your compass has gone from wonky to wonky with a capital ahh!"

Thinking for himself, Steve made a decision he was certain was the best move. No matter what any of them had said to fight against him, he was determined to be the one to check the gate himself. Slipping off his shoes, he made quick work of pulling off his socks as they questioned his motives. "Somebody's gotta go down there and check this thing out. Unless one of you four can top being a Hawkins High swim co-captain and a certified lifeguard for three years, then it's gotta be me. No complaints, alright?"

His instruction of no complaints had his eyes land on Alex. If anyone there was to question him, it would be her. When it came to tough decisions and deathly choices, the two typically bickered on what would be the next move. However, this time around, it was Steve that was willing to face the danger first.

Alex decided that bickering wasn't her best option. Seeing that there was a gate was a necessity. Answers on how to reach Vecna were needed for the group to free Max and the rest of Hawkins from his curse. Rather than open her mouth to debate who should be the one to go, Alex came to the choice herself that it would just have to be the both of them. Standing up, she held on to the top of Eddie's head to keep herself balanced against the rocking boat. Silent, he allowed her to do so, but that did not stop him from making a face at Robin to show how annoyed he was to be used to keep her balance.

Once steadied, she dropped her backpack to the bottom of the boat with a thud. Never taking her eyes off of Steve, she soon broke contact for only a moment as she pulled off her sweatshirt and shirt in one swift swoop.

"Oh, Jesus Christ," Eddie groaned, turning his off to the side with a look of pure disgust. Alex Henderson was nothing more than a sister in his eyes and to see her in her bra caused an unsettling feeling inside of his gut.

Letting out a sarcastic laugh, Steve grabbed her sweatshirt from the boat floor and tossed it back towards her. "Yeah, you're not going."

Sending him a glare, she took her sweatshirt and tossed it down into Eddie's lap— who was far too bothered by Alex shirtless to pay much attention to the two. "Tough shit, Harrington. I'm going. You're not going down to a gate by yourself and I am dying to see what the hell is down there." Making a point to prove she would be going, she kicked off her shoes.

Steve's eyes stayed on hers as she took her socks off, wishing he could fight her on it. When it came to her, she never did back down so easily when she was this determined. It was enough that he feared it would get her killed, which it almost had plenty of times. Still, letting her go alone wasn't an option. "Fine," he stated as he stood up from his seat. Pulling his shirt over his head, he tossed his over to Eddie as his eyes continued to have a hold on her.

Soon enough, he gave in to his temptations and his eyes fell off of hers and landed on her chest. He always did trust Nancy's word, but to see his ring hanging off of her necklace meant the world to him to see it for himself. It wasn't something she was willing to let go of no matter how much she pulled herself away from the rest of the world. No matter what she felt and what she went through, she continued to hold that promise to love him endlessly.

Nancy and Robin saw the way the two looked at one another and immediately had their eyes gravitate toward each other. They failed at keeping their smiles hidden, unable to fight back as they each let their grins spread across their faces. Eddie, on the other hand, was greatly uninterested in the whole ordeal. He wasn't a sucker for sweet moments or unspoken love, he just wanted to get out of there sooner rather than later.

Across the water, standing in the same spot he was instructed to stay in, Lucas Sinclair stood just before the water and a pair of binoculars pressed to his eyes. If he couldn't be of help out on the boat, he felt he could help by keeping a careful eye on the others in case they needed backup. The longer he stood there watching, the more disgusted he grew. Pulling the binoculars away, he lowered them to his chest as he frowned at Dustin. "Man, I'm not sure how long I can keep an eye on them. Your sister's in her bra. I'm really glad we don't have to be out there now."

"Poor Eddie," Dustin whispered as he lowered his eyes. Pausing for a moment, he looked over to Lucas in surprise, "Wait, why the hell is she shirtless?"

"Who knows and who even cares? It's already been burned into my memory," Lucas grumbled as he brought the binoculars back to his eyes. It was an instant regret that overtook him when he let out an even louder groan of pure disgust. "Ugh, when did Steve get so hairy?"

Now on a topic of conversation that interested him, Dustin cracked a smile of excitement. "Right? I keep telling him he needs to tame that jungle but he claims the ladies dig it."

Placing the binoculars back up to his face, Lucas' interests were at full peak to understand what girls could see in that. "Yeah, I think you're right," he said with a nod. "Alex can't stop staring. It's like she's hypnotized. Maybe he's on to something."

Uncrossing her arms, Max couldn't resist the urge to take a look for herself. What she wanted to keep under wraps, she was seeing as very little time left to keep a secret crush hidden. Taking a step up to Lucas, Max wrapped her hand around the binoculars to take for herself. "Let me see," she stated. There was no other option than for him to hand it over when Max was already pulling it off from around his neck and forcing it into her own hands. Holding them up, she gave no word to either of the boys that stood there silent and awkward while she watched Steve Harrington standing shirtless on the edge of the boat.

Unaware of the watchful eyes on them, Alex and Steve exchanged flustered smiles with one another as they waited for Eddie to find their flashlight in her backpack and wrap it up in a plastic bag for them. Steve couldn't resist letting his eyes fall to her chest and feel himself blushing. Leaning forward, he forced himself from letting his eyes linger anywhere but her eyes. "By the way, Henderson, you also..." pausing, he realized where his eyes were heading before gazing back at her eyes. "You look very cute today too," he whispered gently in her ear.

Nodding her head in amusement, Alex couldn't resist the urge to scrunch up her face in a flustered and sweet smile. "Ah, really?" she questioned back teasingly. "Sure it's nothing to do with me being shirtless right now?"

"Oh, no, no," he whispered playfully. "No, you're usually that way whenever we're here. Sorta used to it."

Keeping her eyes focused out on the water, Alex rolled her eyes in an attempt to hide her giddiness. Turning her narrowed eyes over to him, she pursed her lips together into a tight-lipped smile. "You're incredibly lucky there's other people here."

"Or what?" He asked with a flirtatious grin.

"Use your imagination," she stated back playfully before tearing her eyes off of him. Turning over her shoulder, she raised a finger at Eddie. "Don't lose our shit, okay? That's my favorite sweatshirt and Steve needs his back."

"Yeah, sure," Eddie mumbled in annoyance. Holding out the flashlight to her, he finally made himself look at her, only to have him frown in disgust the entire time. "I'll put it in your backpack, okay? Harrington will be back in his super adorable sweater in no time. Keep it in your pants, man." Digging into his pocket, he pulled himself out a cigarette to relieve himself from this stressful situation he found himself in. Scoffing at his actions, Alex bent over, plucking it from between his lips. "Ah, no, no." Flicking it into the water, she shook her head in disapproval. "I quit, so you quit."

Beaming with joy, Robin sat up straight. "It's gross," she added as she grinned over at Alex. Every moment spent with her, she could see how clearly the change was inside of her. Maybe a cigarette wasn't going to be a major change, but the way she glowed with happiness and finally let herself laugh and enjoy herself, it meant something to her. For Alex to make Eddie Munson quit showed Robin how Alex was letting him be a friend and as a friend, she wanted to help him all the same as Robin helped her.

Eddie didn't seem to think the same as he slumped back in his seat. "Yeah, whatever. Good luck."

"Oh," Alex squeaked out as she turned over to Robin with a sad frown. Taking her necklace off from around her neck, she hesitantly held it in her hand as she looked at the ring. Taking it off was going against her promise to always hold on to it. However, losing it in the water was far worse than what she planned to keep it safe. Extending it out to Robin, she put her full trust in her. "Please don't lose this, okay? I'm gonna need it when I get back."

"Of... of course," Robin stuttered out as she took it in her hand. She always knew she and Alex were best friends and nothing could change that. Still, it was surprising to her to have someone trust her with something that meant entirely too much to them. Slipping it on over her neck, Robin gave a nervous smile to Alex. "Stays with me."

"Okay," Alex whispered, looking around the boat. "We'll be back then."

Unable to let go so easily, Nancy had reached a hand out and took ahold of Alex's hand before they could leave. "Be careful, please," she said softly. Though she wasn't entrusted with anything to hold on to, Nancy knew that Alex trusted her with something far more important than any object could be. Alex trusted her to watch over Eddie and Robin, and if anything happened, she would have to take charge to protect the three on land. Whatever it was, Nancy was in charge.

"You do the same," Alex instructed with a friendly smile. "We'll be back in no time." Slipping her hand out of Nancy's, Alex put her back to the three as she looked over to Steve who continued to stare at her. "Ready or are you gonna stand there and gawk all night?"

Placing a hand on her shoulder, Steve let out a light-hearted laugh. "All right, Henderson, just don't drown."

Holding a hand to her chest, Alex pretended to be full of concern. "If I do, will you give me CPR? Some sweet mouth-to-mouth action?"

Clearing his throat loudly, Eddie began to get to his feet. "That's it, I'm pushing her in. Any objections?'

Holding a hand out, Steve made sure Eddie kept his distance as he looked at Alex. Moments like this were what he missed for months. He searched for these kinds of interactions with other girls, waiting for anyone to make him feel as close to the love he felt for Alex, and yet none compared. Steve only ever found himself wishing and thinking of her when he was with anyone else. Now he had her, and there was no gate, no monster, and no horrors that could ever let him lose her again. "We're jumping in now," he whispered to her.

Zipping her mouth shut, she extended her arm out for him to take the first dive in. Doing as she asked, Steve jumped off the boat and dove down into Lover's Lake with her only a dive behind.

Holding their breaths tight in their lungs, they created as much room to hold enough air to search for the gate and race themselves back above water. It was unsettling seeing nothing passed the dim glow of the flashlight. Creatures lurked further in the water, unseen in the darkness as they floated past. Even if there had been no gate on the lake floor, it wouldn't take away from the spine-chilling feeling of the nightly dive.

Catching up to Steve as he reached the floor, Alex took his free hand in hers. His eyes pulled away from the dead fish and bones that settled on the bottom of the lake long enough to meet her eyes. Using her free hand, she pointed over his shoulder where a dark red glow had emitted from further down. It was the reason she held onto him, wanting him close as her nightmares truly sat right before her eyes.

Taking lead, Steve crept over towards the gate. It wasn't the same as the one he had the pleasure of seeing before back at Starcourt. This one was small, broken open in the ground and he could feel the chill from the Upside Down leak into their world. With a glance toward Alex, he could see the panic had washed away as she began to look mesmerized at the gate and the eerie sounds that emanated from within. The pull it had on her caused her to feel uneasy, but curious to see what desperately wanted her on the other side.

Taking his hand out, Steve wished to see for himself what kind of nightmare Alex had gone through. He felt that understanding her pain just a bit more would make things easier for him to see her more clearly. Hearing in little detail of what she went through just wasn't enough because it all felt like a story he shouldn't believe even if he knew it was nothing but the truth. It was all too surreal. Perhaps if he lived it himself, he could help take away some of the pain he couldn't understand now.

Grabbing ahold of his hand, Alex pulled her attention off the gate itself to stop him from doing anything he would regret. Gently, she pushed his hand away from the gate as she pointed up to the surface. Slowly she was becoming desperate for a breath of air and could no longer hold it as long as he had. When he gave her a nod of understanding, Alex let her hand slip from his before she made a race for the surface.

Knowing he could hold it a little longer, Steve did what he knew she didn't wish for him. His hand hesitantly hovered over the gate before his fingers just brushed against the thin layer between worlds. Instantly, his blood ran cold as if the horrors were already eager to race into his mind and grab ahold of him. The monsters lurking just beyond felt the very same for his demise as they made a reach from the other side of the gate.

Startled by the sudden thud against the layer that kept him safe, Steve pulled his hand back instantly, dropping the flashlight in a panic. Deciding it was best to leave it as it was, he kicked off the bottom of the lake and followed after Alex, and made a beeline for the surface.

At the very top, Alex had broken out from the water, filling her lungs with air before she felt herself smiling with news of groundbreaking knowledge. "It's down there," she chuckled as she moved herself closer to the boat and held on to the edge. Wiping the water from her eyes, she then pushed her hair back as she panted heavily from such a swim.

"Where's Steve?" Nancy questioned as her eyes danced across the water. She knew Alex wouldn't have left him to die, but she couldn't help but worry that he ventured off and found himself in a new set of trouble. Turning back, Alex was hit with a face full of water when Steve came splashing back to the surface. "We found it," he said in a single, desperate breath.

Smiling in relief to have them back, Robin praised Dustin for his genius idea of there being a gate. While she had done that, Steve swam himself closer to the boat, taking a spot beside Alex as he laid his hand on top of hers. Smiling at one another, he couldn't believe what they accomplished. "That was pretty wild," he whispered excitedly.

"Totally," she agreed as she leaned towards him joyfully. Before her nose could brush up against his, she turned to Nancy with a glowing smile. "And Nance, it's bigger than the one we went through but nowhere near as big as Starcourts or the labs."

"Yeah, it's more of a snack-size gate than the mama gate, but still, it's pretty damn big," Steve added in. Breathing heavily, he laughed as Alex, just as breathless, rested her forehead on his shoulder from the exhaustion of the dive. For that sliver of a moment, everything was perfectly at peace with the new knowledge they held, and being there at Lover's Lake and holding onto one another, it made Steve and Alex feel close once again. It was enough to make him wish this moment could be held on to for as long as he needed.

Steve wished he could have just another second to hold onto it, to feel her. Yet the world beneath was growing hungry for something new to hold onto as well. With Steve and Alex's feet kicking around in the dark water, almost entangled with each other's, the vines snaked their way through the water in search of a new victim that was much bigger than the fish that swam past. As it neared their feet, there was a moment of pause at the entangled legs before it made a quick decision to take hold of whatever it could. With a lunge, it wrapped itself loosely around Steve Harrington's ankle, tugging him back into the water.

Managing to break free for the second he was under, Steve clung back onto the boat, silent as shock took him over. Processing that something was fighting to take him away, Alex grew panicked, demanding for him to get back onto the boat. Yet before he could understand what was happening, the vine had tightened against his ankle and pulled with much more force. Desperate for anything to hold onto to keep himself above water, Steve grabbed ahold of Alex's leg before he was yanked too far from her, pulling her along with him.

Without the warning to hold her breath, Alex had little to work with as she was pulled along with him. Clawing at the water, Alex fought to free herself to find a breath of air she couldn't capture before being pulled under. Soon enough his grip loosened, freeing her to head back to the surface for air. Breaking back out of the water, Alex coughed out the water that filled her lungs while the others continued to scream around her which only sounded like a buzz in her ear.

Collecting herself and unable to listen to those around her, Alex took a large breath of air this time before heading back into the water after him. This time she was desperate to reach the gate, unwilling to let the fear of the unknowns in the water keep her hesitant to push through. Fighting against the water, she forced herself to dive down as fast as she could to reach the other world.

The closer it came, the easier it become to ignore the need for air. When he was all she thought about, it hadn't mattered what else stood in her way when she was desperate to reach him once again. This time, without hesitation, she placed her arm through that opening of the gate, now with a broken layer between the worlds, and lifted herself through and into the Upside Down.

Breathless, she pulled herself out, allowing that acidic air fill her lungs in an unsatisfying way. It was as if she reentered into one of her nightmares that kept her restless. Her mind didn't stay on the what if's and how much of this was reality. After being back with Steve and feeling him with her once again, nightmare or not, she needed him.

Struggling to regain her breath, Alex called out his name, rushing and stumbling to where he fell to the ground from the bats that lurked in the sky. The others were only a step behind, there to rescue Steve all the same but as they called for Alex to wait for them, she continued to fight on and get to Steve.

Dodging a bat that swooped down from the sky, Alex called out for him as he took a swing at the bats that descended down at him. Her throat burned as she screamed his name once more as a bat slipped around his swing of the oar he gripped onto and yanked him off his feet. Struggling to get to him, she desperately dodged the bats around her, fighting to get to him as life was being choked out of him.

Warm tears replaced the cold water of Lover's Lake that covered her cheeks as she raced over the vines that covered the ground beneath them and made a dive for the oar Steve had dropped in his fight. As she made that lunge, the bats soaring ahead could feel the electricity coursing through them at the sight of Alex Henderson back in the Upside Down. They had a calling, wanting nothing more than to follow orders before they could dig into their newest meals that arrived.

Racing up to Steve, Alex swung the oar down on one that had its tail wrapped tightly around his neck. Stunned from the sudden blow, the bat screeched out, signaling for the others to come to its aid. As she made for another hit to the bats that dug their teeth into his sides, Alex was mid-swing before she was knocked off her feet.

With its tail wrapped around her ankle, a bat had followed orders to return her to where they felt she rightfully belonged. Pulling her off her feet, the bat rose into the air, desperately flapping its wings as she hit her chin to the ground and clasped her jaw shut, rocking a pain throughout her head as it began to drag her away.

Losing grip on the oar, Alex desperately dug her nails into the ground before her, pleading for help as another bat took hold of her other ankle to get her off the ground. Unwilling to let them have her so easily, Alex dug her fingers in harder to the ground causing her nails to break and bleed to break free from their tight hold on her.

Soon enough her fingertips could only brush against the ground as she fought to touch it once more when they began to lift her into the air. Fighting for his own life, Steve watched as she wriggled around in attempts to flee from their hold just to be whisked into the air.

Each of them had closed their eyes as they accepted such an awful fate for each of them. When they fought, it was always for the other and somehow they each felt like failures. It was a bleak end for the two with no chance at a happy ending and it all came down to a dive in a place that once held such happy memories.

When Alex Henderson shut her eyes, she wished it all to end just as her nightmares always did. This time it wouldn't have mattered if she woke up with blood gushing from her nose or a terrified scream that would awake her house. As long as she knew Steve Harrington wasn't in any danger, everything would have been fine.

In an attempt to end this nightmare for her, hands clasped onto Alex's just before she was too far out of reach. Opening her eyes, Alex was face to face with a terrified and wide-eyed Eddie Munson as he yanked her closer to him as the bats desperately pulled her out to the sky above. "Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit!" Screaming to release his panicked fears, Eddie Munson held onto Alex Henderson by her hands as the bats surrounding them grew feisty, desperate to take her away. To them, she was not their next meal, rather it was their duty to bring her along, bring her home— right to the Creel House. Just beyond those doors, Vecna awaited her arrival, eager to show her all he had planned, to show her who he really was.

Unwilling to allow that to happen, Eddie Munson made sure to tighten his grip on her hands no matter how scared he was. This wasn't his moment to run. It's what he always saw himself as— a runner, fleeing from the scene and unable to take a stand and fight. Had he only seen that this was his hero moment, it would have changed how he viewed himself. Eddie the Banished was a hero and by not running, he was saving a life of horrors for Alex Henderson. Something she could never repay him enough for.

To see him there, even as scared as he was, Alex knew this couldn't have been a nightmare. In all of hers, Eddie was never there, never a part of the tortuous nights she often faced. One thing Vecna failed to see was that the annoying, brash hellraiser from Hawkins was her friend. Eddie may have not known the ins and outs of her life, but he cared deeply and her all the same. So even in nightmares, Vecna felt it was useless to have someone that he saw as insignificant be there to show Alex all those that she loved never truly loved her. It was naive to think that Eddie Munson wouldn't have a way of worming himself into people's hearts, making a home for himself which he had done with her. Because she loved him.

"Wheeler! Robin! Anyone!" His desperate attempts for help had gone unnoticed as the two girls worked to save Steve's life. With a hard tug, he yanked Alex closer to him, infuriating the monsters that were eager to take her.

"It's okay!" Alex called out to him. "It's okay if you can't hold on!"

"Shut up, shut up!" Readjusting his grip, he kept her in his hands, unable to bring himself to ever let go. Had he been attacked himself, it would take a dying breath of air for him to ever let her go. He couldn't stand to see another person die in front of him. After what Vecna had put him through with Chrissy and Patrick, he wished this was seen as a spit in his face for holding Alex Henderson back from him.

Screeching, the bats that fought for Alex grew agitated the more they fought to fly away with her against someone like Eddie Munson. Letting out a quick and panicked laugh, Eddie dodged as one made a swoop for him. "Yeah, come on!" He taunted over their frustrated screeches. "Eat shit! You're not getting her!"

For a moment, Alex let out a laugh, forgetting the tears that stained her face or the blood that pooled in her mouth from the sudden blow to her chin. All because Eddie Munson was there to do as he always did in school with his taunts. This time it wasn't standing on top of tables, calling out harsh insults to the basketball team, it was against monsters that could take him out in one swoop.

Still fighting against the chokehold that the bat had on him, Steve was left to defend himself once more when a bat grabbed hold of Nancy's back. Not letting anything stand in his way from helping Eddie save Alex, he bit down hard onto the tail of the bat until it had no choice but to flee. Blood filling his mouth, Steve grabbed the tail as it attempted to escape and fought for himself now.

Stabbing the end of the oar into the bat that Robin pried off her back, Nancy was breathless yet still had every bit of fire left inside of her to keep fighting. Marching her way over to Eddie Munson, Nancy took the oar right in her hand with a glare focused on the bats fighting to fly away with Alex. Raising the oar, she hit one of the bats repeatedly until it finally let go and flopped down to the ground. Racing forward, Robin dug her heel into it until a crunch rang out from beneath her foot. With only one bat left, Nancy used every bit of strength she had left in her. The crack of the oar against the last bat split the air as the oar broke into two pieces and the bat took its last breath with such a heavy blow.

Crashing back down to the ground, the wind was knocked out of Alex as her chest hit hard on the tough ground and her grip from Eddie broke free. Falling back, Eddie closed his eyes with panted breaths, feeling the pulse in his hands from how tight he held on to her. He had done what he feared he could never do and saved someone. Yet his shower of love and thanks was put on hold as Alex scrambled to her feet. Nearly tripping over herself, she raced herself over to Steve, feeling every bit of pain in her ankles as she collided into him after he spit the bat's blood out of his mouth.

Stunned to not be attacked by something so vicious, he took barely a second before his arms wrapped around hers. Breathing heavily, he closed his eyes, resting his chin on top of her head. No matter how much pain he was in, she was there and that's all that mattered.

"Jesus H. Christ!" Eddie screamed when the realization finally hit him. The stories they told him, everything that sounded like one big joke truly was real. Another world, monsters worse than ghosts, and Alex Henderson's connection to it all had been true, every part, every detail, and every nightmare. Only now he was a part of it all and there was never going to be an escape.

Unable to hear the terrified realization that sat in Eddie Munson, Steve tightened his hold against Alex, wishing to never let her go. Now he could understand a part of how she felt. Even minuscule, he felt it for once. He faced death, survived, and still it didn't feel like a win knowing how it would haunt him and how hurt and broken he began to feel. But he made it and it was another day he could be with Alex Henderson.

Pulling away, Alex closed her eyes as she whimpered at the bruising on her ankles. It hurt to stay standing after the grip and pull the bats had on her. Only when Steve went to hold her, she finally looked him over in disbelief and hurt. "Oh my god, Steve," she whispered. "I am..."

"Don't say you're sorry," he whispered. Looking down at his sides, he winced at the sight alone. "I'm fine, I'm fine." Reaching out, he hoped to distract her long enough to forget about his hurt and pulled her back to leave a kiss on her forehead. "You're okay."

"You're not," she whispered, holding onto him as she looked him over. His hands hesitantly hovered over his bites and soon his eyes lingered over to hers feeling no pain to see that she was okay. "Well, they took about a pound of flesh." Pausing, he watched as her eyes met his and the corners of his lips turned up. "Other than that, I'm never better."

Crouched down and full of concern, Robin held a flashlight up to a dead bat, examining it carefully. "Uh, do you guys think these bats have, like, rabies?"

Stunned, Steve couldn't help but look away from Alex just to give Robin a look. "What?"

"It's just that rabies are, like, my number one greatest fear. And I think we should get you to a doctor, like, really soon because once the symptoms set in, it's too late. You're already dead."

There was a silence as everyone stared at Robin in utter disbelief. Her priorities seemed to have been set with good intentions, but very wrong timing. Rabies was the least of their concerns because there was no doctor out there that could help them and as far as they knew, only one way out of this place.

A collective chittering came from a handful of bats that emerged from the trees and out into the red clouded sky above. All eyes turned off Robin's to see the incoming threat headed their way. Huddled together, they watched as the bats gathered around the gate, screeching warnings for them to stay their distance from their exit.

"All right, there's not that many," Steve reassured the group. Still worn out and bloody, the group was willing to take on the few bats ahead to get to safety, but the swarm of bats that flooded the sky took away that option.

"Uh, don't mean to kill the mood here, but, um, I think they're looking for our beloved Alexandra again," Eddie said in a hushed voice. All eyes turned to him, all but Alex's. There was very little room to plan and run but she was on it. Looking for a safe spot, she pointed over to the woods not too far away from where they stood. "We need to get in the woods. They can't get to us in there. We just... we just have to watch out for anything else in there though."

"Anything else?" Eddie repeated back with a laugh. "And how exactly are you our best option to listen to? Because I'm pretty sure you're the only one those things didn't want a bite out of."

"Just trust her," Nancy stated as she moved to Alex's side.

"Jesus," Eddie mumbled with a roll of his eyes. Moving around, he kneeled in front of Alex, "Would you just get on? I'm not getting eaten because those things broke your ankles. Plus, you're, like, a really great shield to have right now."

Stunned by his harsh words but helpful actions, Alex climbed onto his back. Standing up, Eddie looked to Steve with a small nod. Though he had a way with words, he was always looking out for Alex and the rest of the group. Returning the nod, Steve soon looked up to the sky to see the bats lurking above as the group now raced for the tree line. Out there, Vecna waited for his moment to have her and tonight was the closest he had gotten and Steve was determined to be sure that was the closest he would ever get. Alex Henderson was a wanted woman and the monsters that flooded the skies and lurked in the shadows of the trees all waited for her to be returned to him-- to Vecna.