𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 - down the rabbit hole

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 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐃 grown far colder than when it had started. Each breath of air came out as nothing more than a curling coil of white mist, it drifted higher and higher until it faded beneath the dull gleam of the moonlight.

 One's cheeks were pink as the cold chewed at her flesh; though it might have been a remnant of the walloping she'd gotten from Billy, perhaps a tint left over from the blood that she and Max had scrubbed from her cheeks.

 Speaking of Maxine... You might have wondered whether or not One could drive; the answer was yes; Mick had taught her, just as she'd taught Kali and attempted to teach Axel — he was a terrible driver who liked to mount the curbs, or perhaps lightly tap a civilian or two with the bumper. But One liked to think that Mick had taught her well.

 So... Was it One driving Steve's ridiculously expensive car? No. No, it wasn't.

 Little Max Mayfield had practically begged, almost teetering to her own knees as she pleaded with One to let her drive. She was the party's Zoomer — whatever that meant — no matter how much Mike turned his nose up at the name.

 One, the very girl who had been subjected to experiments, the girl who had run away and started her own life... One, the girl with unthinkable powers... She couldn't find it within herself to say no to those glistening blue eyes and pouted lips. Maxine had gotten her way.

 So now the girl was up front, hands curled around the wheel with frightening strength. Her blazing hair trailed over her face, splaying into the air as the November chill whipped through the open window.

 In all honesty, One couldn't quite fault the girl. It was — admittedly — a bit of a bumpy ride, but for a thirteen-year-old who had only ever steered a single car within a parking lot, she was doing quite well. The turns were sharp, but that might have been due to Lucas' late timings, or his penchant for getting a little lost amidst his bouts of staring at Max.

 Lucas was snug in the passenger seat, an old map they'd managed to find was crumpled in his hands. His eyes would hastily dart away from Max, taking great care to swiftly move them to the map and trail along the painted road with a pointed finger.

 One had planted herself in the backseat with Mike and Dustin. Mike had taken the middle seat, whining as he did. But he was the smallest and the wiriest of the three. He'd eventually given up, slumping into the seat with arms folded across his chest; only perking up when One had mentioned Eleven.

 Steve who was still beaten within an inch of his life, was splayed over the three of them. His head and the long brown locks that sprouted from it were resting atop One's lap while his dirty shoes had been planted atop Dustins. The boy had scowled and groaned, but one further look at the swollen mess that was Steve Harrington was enough for him to fall silent and accept his fate as a footrest.

 Both Steve and One were smothered in the small plasters Dustin had managed to swipe from one of Joyce's kitchen drawers. Each one was a vibrant pink or blue, like the colour of bubblegum. Some were decorated with stars, dinosaurs or smiley faces; the kids all snorted once Dustin had fixed them up.

 Blood had been scrubbed away from their skin; One had sat silently as Mike dabbed at her face whilst the engine had roared to life; then One had taken a spare cloth to carefully clear away the film of dried blood upon Steve's face. It hadn't made him look much better.

 There was a small shift atop One's lap, and as she peered down, Steve slowly moved his head. His eyes were squeezed shut, lines appearing by his sides as he groaned and finally began to wake.

 Dustin must have been waiting for him to finally come to, for the boy reached over and lightly patted Steve's knee, "Hey, buddy. Shhhh shhh... It's okay. You put up a good fight." Dustin grimaced, "He kicked your ass, but you put up a good fight. You're okay."

 Steve only groaned again, twisting his entire body. An elbow was nudged into Mike's stomach, and Dustin had to duck his head to the side to avoid Steve's foot knocking out his new and sparkling teeth.

 One drifted a light hand over Steve's shoulder, her voice low and dulcet, "Steve, stop moving, you'll only hurt yourself."

 Her voice was enough to break his daze, his head whipped to stare up at her. A beat passed, followed by another. She furrowed her brows as he kept his eyes planted on her. "Why..." Steve swallowed, his tongue like sandpaper while his words threatened to spill like vomit as he slurred, "Why aren't you driving?"

 One knew it would be a bad idea, really. Not so much letting Max take the wheel, but the panic that would flood through Steve if he knew. The boy, since she'd arrived, had done little more than worry and panic like a little mother hen over the children. His regard for safety outshined Hopper's, and he was supposed to be a police officer.

 Lucas called out yet another direction and Max nodded along, hardly paying attention to the conversation behind her, nor the panicked breaths falling from Steve's bruised lips.

 "What's going on?" Steve mumbled, and finally, he twisted his head to catch sight of Max Mayfield in his driver's seat, her hands around his wheel. He blinked. He blinked again. Then he panicked. He started almost... flailing, arms tossed into the air as his voice croaked like a frog, "Oh, my God!"

 Dustin waved his worries away, hand brushing through the air like a leaf on the breeze, "Relax, she's driven before."

 Of course, Mike felt that it was the perfect moment to build upon the odd little ball of hatred he had for Max, "Yeah, in a parking lot."

 One sighed, her eyes sliding shut as Steve only squirmed further, "Thank you for that, Mike."

 "Sorry."

 "Steve, please," One groaned as his shoulder bumped her bruised stomach. He kept moving, wriggling like a little earthworm after a fresh sprinkling of rainfall. His mouth parted and closed again as he struggled to voice his concerns, but the wild look in his eyes was enough. She seized his shoulders, pushing down, "I can stop the car if I have to, just stop moving."

 Steve ignored her, his head swimming with a bundle of unsavoury what-ifs. What if Max turned down the wrong road and had to reverse? He didn't trust her to drive forward in a straight damn line, let alone backwards. What if they knocked someone down? What if they dented his car? His father would kill him.

 Panic clawed at his heart, spreading to his chest like a virus, "Oh, my God."

 Dustin could only grit his teeth and pat Steve once more, a little harder this time, "I promised you'd be cool, okay?"

 One knew nothing they could say would stop Steve's squirming. He twisted and turned, hands grappling out to try and take ahold of anything he could. He recoiled only slightly when One batted one of his hands away; he had gotten a little too close to bumping her purple nose.

 The car jolted for a second as Max slipped and accidentally slammed her foot on the accelerator. She swore from the front seat and tossed a sour look at Lucas who'd been screaming the directions as though his own throat was a damn megaphone.

 "Max!" One screeched, her hand falling upon Lucas's headrest, fingers digging into it, "For God's sake, slow down! Don't make me stop this car!"

 She almost grimaced at the way she sounded, and the way the children all swiftly diverted their eyes from her as though their parents had suddenly appeared before them. Max had hastily lifted her foot, setting them at a much slower, calmer pace but even that wasn't enough to quell Steve's worry.

 He continued on, screaming for them all to stop the car. He was like an old siren, repeating the words as they steadily grew louder and louder; grating to their ears. One was almost tempted to find the blood-stained cloth she'd used to clean his face and stuff it between those pouted lips of his.

 His eyes would find her own every so often, a certain look that begged for her to stop the car herself, for he knew that she could. The worry she found within them... it was desperate. He already knew and had agreed to go along with their plan, and so far, Max really hadn't come close to putting any of them in danger. So the panic, the fear... Where was it coming from?

 "Everybody shut up!" Screamed Max, her cheeks growing a dark shade of pink as she squinted her eyes on the dark road ahead. Her knuckles had become a pasty white from gripping the steering wheel so damn hard, rivalling that of the moon shining down on them, "I'm trying to concentrate!"

 Lucas did his utmost to ignore the commotion behind him. He kept his eyes locked on the map, trailing his finger down the road, sure to glimpse out the window for street signs. Then, he tapped the crumpled paper, "Make a left!"

 Once more, even despite Lucas' concentration and devotion to his role of map-reader, he had called his directions a little too late and as Max spun the wheel of the car, heaving it like she was pulling a rope from the depths of a well. The car smashed into a mailbox, sending it toppling to the floor with a rather hearty dent in the side.

 One had sighed out, her hands darting high towards the roof. Her fingers splayed out, a bright red glow erupting as the vehicle became coated in crimson. It trailed around them all, reaching the wheels, clawing at them. One tightened her fingers, bringing them closer to her palm, and with ease... the car finally slowed.

 Max let out a heavy breath, a bitter scowl tossed at Lucas, "Mind telling me where to go in time, stalker?" Then her eyes brightened once again, appearing as though sunlight had been gleaming over ocean waters. She tipped her head back, "Thanks!"

 One only dropped her hands, letting the red wisps that had trailed around them like haunted souls fade away. Then, she stooped her gaze to Steve, "This is your last warning, Harrington. Sit still."

 Her warning fell upon deaf ears, for Steve only met her gaze, lips parting to the point she could spy his molars, "Stop the car!"

 Now, One understood him. Really, she did. Getting your ass handed to you, only to wake up surrounded by a bunch of kids with one of them driving your car to some field that led to a bunch of tunnels filled with monsters that would likely try to tear their flesh from their bones. It didn't sound great.

 But they had decided on their plan, and One wasn't about to let anyone stand in the way of helping Eleven. She needed them. Eleven was so very strong but she shouldn't have to fight alone. She needed to know that her friends, and her sister were all right there, cheering her on.

 One shook her hands out and very nearly delighted in the wide-eyed stare Steve had given them. His swollen eyes, each speckled with red trailed along her palms and up towards her fingertips; watching intently.

 A burst of crimson erupted and glazed over his skin like a comforting blanket; it tickled as it crawled down his neck, spreading towards his arms like old vines over a forgotten home. The wisps curled around his fingers, grazed past his thighs and took ahold of his legs.

 With a slight curl of her digits, One held Steve firm. His limbs tightened and all movement ceased. His flailing arm had been forced to rest by his side. His eyes widened as much as they could with the bruises painted over them, "Hey! Hey, stop!"

 "Will you sit still if I do?"

 His cheeks puffed out and One leaned over him, coming close enough that a cluster of her raven hair tickled the skin of his flustered cheek, "I didn't think so. Don't worry," She cooed, "You can scream and writhe as much as you want... when we get to those tunnels."

 The car engine revved and spluttered as Max, once more, slammed her foot down upon the gas pedal. The field was barren, grass had become withered, looking as though each blade would snap and flitter away as nothing more than ash. The smell of rotting fruit hit their noses immediately, and Dustin scrambled to close the window, pumping his arm as he twisted the handle.

 The car came to a very abrupt stop, and Max at least had the decency to shoot One a sheepish grin over her shoulder, peering through her billowing red hair. One couldn't help the small wobble of her lips as they curled into a small smile; she should have been stern, just as Steve was...

 But Max's grin was enough for One to shake her head and shrug, "You did pretty well."

 "Really?"

 "Better than some of the morons I know."

 One dropped her hold on Steve, it was hard not to laugh at him as he tried his absolute hardest to nail her with a bitter scowl. His puffy eyes, and broken lips only made him look miserable. He sat upright, vision still bleary and his head still a little fuzzy as Dustin tossed his feet to the side, scrambling out of the car. Mike soon followed, heaving Steve's knees off his lap.

 "Hey," One said, tapping Steve on the arm. He met her gaze with an expectant brow, "You comfy?"

 His cheeks darkened and he scrambled from her lap, tripping over himself as he vaulted out of the car. Her laughter trailed after him like a bad smell, and to make things worse, he almost tripped over the damn car itself. His face would have been planted in the mud, accompanied by a lovely mouthful of decaying grass... Had One not seized him by the collar with a surprising amount of strength.

 He righted himself, and her fingers unfurled as she stared at him with a raised brow, "Don't freak out."

 "Don't freak out?" He echoed, blinking wildly as he stared after her, watching as she trailed after the children, "Yeah, okay, sure. Why would I freak out?"

 One's eyes rolled skywards as she continued towards the children. The sky had grown pitch black, a vast twilight overhanging them; it was an almost starless night and the only light they had streamed from Steve's headlights. Even the moon seemed fearful as it hid between smog-like clouds rolling on by.

 "Guys," Steve called out, yet his shout fell upon the kid's disinterested ears. Each one of them had burrowed into his trunk, hands snatching up goggles, bandana's and whatever else they'd manage to pluck from Joyce's home and stuff within the car.

 One clicked her fingers, wiggling them as the kids turned their eyes upon her, gesturing for them to bundle her with their equipment. Mike proceeded to help Lucas with his goggles, snapping them on his head with a small snort, all while Lucas' scowled behind the fish-eyed lens he now stared through.

 One had planted herself behind Max, tightening the girl's drooping goggles until she stuck her thumb high in the air. Next came Dustin's bandana that One had tied around his neck with ease. He pulled it up, covering his mouth; more than ready to hop into the tunnel littered with spores.

 Then, of course, the pair of them did the very same for her. A red bandana had been tied around One's head, snug against the back of her skull. There were small flowers printed all over it; it was likely an old washcloth. Her goggles, that had slipped from above her nose to her collar bones had been tightened by Max.

 They all looked a silly sight; each with their colour goggles that steamed up as they breathed, their warm breaths contrasting against the chill in the air. Their bandana's flapped in the light breeze.

 "Oh, no, guys..." Steve tried again, watching aimlessly as each of them continued to potter about, tossing backpacks filled with spare equipment to and fro. Dustin drifted by him, not even offering a spare glance as he lugged a canister of gasoline. Steve frowned, "Hey, where do you think you're going? What are you deaf? Hello?"

 He had clicked his fingers, clapped his hands and stomped his foot like a toddler. Nothing broke through to the kids — they were all ignoring him on purpose. He eyed the hole in the very middle of the field alighted by his headlights. The vines were squirming like bundles of bugs, they could already see small spores or dots of ash teetering into the air. He couldn't let them go.

 "Steve!" One called out, her voice holding a rough edge. She padded over to him, an absolute sight in her goggles and bandana, her face smothered in cuts and bruises as she wrangled a pair of old gloves onto her fingers, "You agreed to this, remember? No matter what you say, we are doing this. With or without you."

 "You're seriously gonna let these brats get themselves killed in those tunnels? Nope. No way. I promised to keep these shitheads safe!"

 A great breath was sucked through One's nose as she willed herself to keep a moderate amount of sanity. Did Steve think she wanted the kids to go into the tunnels and die? Was he that dumb? Of course she didn't want to watch the kids get torn apart by weird-ass vines, or choke to death on some wacky cloud of spores. That was exactly why she was joining them.

 These were Eleven's friends — even if Eleven had been a little catty towards Max — and One had promised her little sister that they'd be waiting right at home for when Eleven saved them all... She might have fibbed a little. She might have promised the Chief they'd stay put in the Byers' home. What he didn't know couldn't anger him until later — when he would inevitably find out.

 Hop could scream if he wanted, hell he could yell straight at her face for endangering the children... but it wouldn't matter. They would all make it out of the tunnel, and Eleven would close the gate without interference. They will win.

 Steve leaned closer, waving his hand in front of her face, "Hello? You want those kids to die?"

 She batted him away, "Would you quit doing that!" She glanced to the side, shoulders slumping as she caught sight of the kids all bundled together like penguins — they were watching them argue once again, "Look, I promised to keep them safe too, I get it —"

 "— You clearly don't —

 "— Oh my God, let me finish!" She rushed out, hastily clamping her palm over his lips. He winced as her skin brushed against his raw wounds, yet when he never made a move to duck away, One sighed, "I can keep them safe, my powers can keep them safe. But they'll be that much safer if you come with us."

 He puffed his cheeks out again, as though forcing out all of the hot air within his lungs. His lips brushed her palm and she pulled away with a grimace, shooting him an odd look as though he'd been gross enough to lick her hand.

 Steve cast his gaze at the kids; it was as plain as day that each and every one of the brats had taken to One immediately. Max always had a starry-eyed look as she grinned; she looked like she was meeting her hero after years of fawning. Lucas always had some sort of smug look, watching on as she backed them up, each and every time.

 Mike had certainly changed his tune. The bitterest Wheeler, the one who always looked like he'd chugged a litre of lemon juice had originally started the night by staring at her with scorn. He'd become irritated whenever One would mention Eleven and the time they'd spent together. He'd been jealous. He'd been angry. Now, his eyes glittered with awe. He'd watched her comfort Eleven endlessly, he'd seen the way she'd harmed herself just so that Will could have a moment of solace and freedom. Now she was preparing to lead them into the darkness.

 Dustin just looked like the giddy little kid he was. With each spark of crimson she'd bring to life, he'd positively beam at her. She was a real superhero, and Dustin was a little nerd. A match made in heaven, really.

 Steve's silence had spurred Dustin to take the stand with Steve's trusty bat in hand, "She's right Steve. Bottom line is, a party member requires assistance, and it is our duty to provide assistance. Now I know you promised Nance that you would keep us safe. But so did she." He nodded his head towards One, brandishing the bat within his grasp like a sword of legend, he held it out for Steve, "So, help her keep us safe."

 Steve had obviously caved, for even though his arms were firmly folded over his chest, his narrowed eyes had slipped, and his deep frown had thinned. A beat passed, and then Steve swiped his hand out, grasping the bat with ease as he twirled it once.

 Dustin nudged One as they watched him walk off, closer to the oversized rabbit hole they'd all soon be jumping down. They shared a sneaky smile.

 The tunnels were darker than the night high above ground; whilst the twilight still had a small smattering of stars peeking through, while the moon peeped out from behind smokey clouds, the tunnels had no light source.

 The kids all shined their torches the moment their muddied soles touched the ground. They were sure to skirt around the vines, their arms inching out to help one another down. Steve had been the last to hop down, lowered carefully by One and Dustin; he was now equipped with his own blue bandanna and garish goggles to protect him from whatever the hell they'd soon find.

 The vines coating the walls all slivered like snakes, they'd pause here and there as though settling into a deep slumber before writhing once more — One had the urge to reach out and touch one, though she kept her hands safely tucked by her side.

 The glittering beam of their torches lit the way and they found themselves at a crossroads. Steve's head twisted this way and that, bundles of hair falling over his goggles, "Holy..."

 "Shit." One breathed, finishing his thoughts. It was like nothing she'd ever seen before. How an entire tunnel system with sentient vines and monstrous dogs all existed beneath Hawkins was beyond her... though if it were to exist anywhere, it would be Hawkins.

 They shared a look, and for once they didn't part their lips to yell, scream or argue as the kids watched on with amused and somewhat horrified expressions.

 Mike poked his head up, his nose having been buried in the map safely clutched within his pale and shaking hands. He pointed, yet the tunnel he peered at looked the very same as all the others, "Yeah, pretty sure it's this way."

 That didn't give One a single sliver of confidence at all.

 Dustin was, evidently, of the same mindset. His head whipped around, narrowed eyes dissecting Mike, "You're pretty sure... or you're certain?" Scepticism was clear in his voice.

 Mike took a cautious step over one of the vines, his eyes promptly darting back to the map, "I'm one hundred percent sure. Just follow me and you'll know." He yelled back, adjusting his hold on the map so that One could easily peer over his shoulder.

 Steve quickly dove forth, spinning Mike around by the shoulders — the poor kid looked like he'd gotten whiplash, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hey, hey, hey! I don't think so."

 "What?"

 "Any of you little shits die down here, we're getting the blame. Got it, dipshit?" He gave Mike no time to recover or even form a reply, for he craned his neck down to One, "You man the rear, I'll take up the front, yeah?

 One regarded him standing there; he towered over the kids and even had to stoop his gaze just to meet her eyes... but all he was equipped with was a nail-ridden bat that had certainly seen better days. She'd heard Dustin gush all about Steve's heroics back in the junkyard — he'd spent a majority of the car ride gloating, actually, and while he might have a zippo tucked away in his back pocket... would it be enough?

 One hadn't set out to care as much as she did; the kids had somehow managed to get their grubby little hands seized around her heart, but she'd always possessed a soft spot for children — especially the ones who had to fight their own battles without a lick of help. But Steve Harrington?

 When she'd first seen him — thought he was cute — and drifted her eyes past him, she hadn't at all thought she'd actually stand there contemplating his safety. Maybe it was just who she was; an overly caring girl who often had a knife twisted in her beating heart. Maybe it was the way he risked everything for those kids; he might have called them dipshits and shitheads and his other wide range of creative insults, but he never truly meant them.

 His eyes had shined when she had told him about Dustin's gushing, how even Eleven had mentioned him in her stories without having met him. He adored those kids, no matter how pissed off he tried to look.

 She conceded, after all the tunnels were vast and the Demo-dogs could come from any direction, "Alright, be careful."

 "You too."

 "Try not to mess your hair up, huh? Dustin tells me that you take great care of it..." She leaned a smidgen closer, sure that the children wouldn't hear, "Farrah Fawcett, was it? Or was it Faberge?"

 Steve's head twisted so very slowly, cheeks pink as his finger darted out at Dustin, "Henderson, I'll kill you."

 It had felt as though they'd been trudging through mud and vines for hours when really only ten minutes had passed them by. The kids up front had kept up their mindless chatter; Steve took the lead, followed closely by Mike who shouted out instructions before hastily turning his eyes back to the map.

 Lucas and Max were in the middle, a heated conversation had broken out; something to do with being a stalker, another about how Max should have been told sooner... One had tried her hardest to block it out, in all honesty.

 Dustin was just a pace ahead of One. He hadn't added much to the conversations spurring on around him, instead, he kept tossing small looks behind him, eyes burning into One who had finally had enough, "What's up, Dustin?"

 He blinked as Max and Lucas hushed and peered over their own shoulders. Mike and Steve copied his action, though their mighty leader was sure to spare glances through the tunnel, only to grimace and turn back once more.

 Dustin grinned, "I was just thinking... How you don't have a name and stuff... And One just doesn't have the same ring as Eleven..."

 With each sentence, One's smile grew wider. He was clearly treading lightly, careful not to upset her, especially when Steve shot him a look. He was right. One really didn't have the same ring, nor charm; Eleven was always shortened, made to sound like a real name.

 So she joined Dustin's side, "Go on."

 "I was thinking maybe we could call you Scarlet, or Wanda; like the superhero." Dustin's smile was toothy, each one gleaming like a shining star, "She's a cool superhero, and you pretty much have the same powers."

 The kids erupted in light chatter, tossing the names to and fro, only when Steve spoke, did they give their definitive answers. He glanced back, a single shoulder shrugging as his hair bobbed with each step, "Scarlet's cool. Matches your woo-woo magic."

 A snort echoed through the tunnel, actually, a symphony of them did. Steve smiled to himself, turning to face the dark abyss before them.

 One pondered; the two names Dustin had suggested, and the way he and his friends all looked at her; they really did see her as some kind of superhero. They were wrong, of course, she was just a girl who had been dealt an unfortunate hand and made the best she could out of it. That was all.

 Still, watching as each of the kids peered at her with wide and sparkling eyes, all awaiting her answer... How could she deny them? She hadn't been able to utter the word no to them thus far. So when Dustin nudged her side, One gave him a soft smile. It curled at the edges of her split lips, and it even ached a little, "I like Scarlet, Steve's right, it matches my..." She lowered her voice as best she could without laughter slipping through, "Woo woo magic."

 "Sweet!" Max chimed, hastily leaving Lucas behind in the dust as she bumped Dustin out of the way. The boy had groaned and complained, but Max didn't seem to care as she shooed him off to join the boy she had abandoned.

 Max couldn't help but stick to One's — no, Scarlet's — side like glue to rubber; Max had never had a real sibling; back in California she had only ever had her mother and father; Max's dad had always been present in her life, he let her watch movies she had been far too young for, he had let her take the driver's seat in his old impala... until the divorce.

 When her parents had divorced and her father packed up his things and moved to L.A, he grew... distant. He'd be late almost every day to pick her up for their weekends together. He would make some shitty excuse and simply laugh it off, all while Maxine would slump in her seat, wondering where the father she had once known had gone. One day, he hadn't shown at all. That had been the last straw for Max's mother.

 Then Neil and Billy Hargrove walked into their lives. Billy might have been her step-brother through marriage, but she knew that he would never really be a sibling. It had been something she had always wanted, an older sibling to take her places she wasn't supposed to go, to back her up when her parents grew red in the face...

 Max walked along with one hand curled around a torch, the other snug in her pocket. Max Mayfield wasn't known to be a soft little girl; she was loud, she said things she probably shouldn't, and she kind of was — as Billy had said — a bitch. She didn't let her feelings be known, she wanted to bottle them up and keep them safe.

 It surprised even Max herself when her elbow knocked into Scarlet, "Thanks, by the way."

 One, Scarlet — it would take some time to get used to that — widened her smile. Her eyes remained ahead, watching Dustin's curls bounce beneath his hat, watching as Lucas' sling-shot bobbed in his pocket, as Mike popped his head up and muttered instructions, and as the bat slung over Steve's shoulder glinted beneath the stream of light flowing from the cluster of torches.

 She cocked her head, "What for?"

 "Just —" Max sighed, the action hidden safely behind the bandana. She really wasn't good at this, "I don't know? Standing up to Billy, I guess? Letting me be the one to put him out... Backing us up so we could come here... People don't normally do that."

 "Maxine ​​—" She ignored Max's huff at the use of her full name and delighted in the fact that the girl made no such peep to correct her, she quite enjoyed teasing these kids, "— I'm a laboratory experiment, turned runaway, turned..." Her voice lowered, "Criminal... I think backing up a bunch of kids who just want to save their friends and their homes is the least of my crimes."

 "You're a criminal?"

 "Running away from Hawkins Lab didn't come with a care package, I'm afraid."

 Max snorted, "Yeah, no shit, they'd probably just send you off with some  shitty monster to deal with."

 Scarlet thought back to that very day; it hadn't been a monster by her side, just Kali. While her sister might have done things that were less than kind, while she sought revenge above all else; she wasn't a monster. She couldn't be.

 Each and every tunnel they turned down, every single crossroads all looked exactly the same; it was like walking through one of those stupid fun houses at a carnival, everything was the same, reflections upon mirrors taunting your every move until you inevitably slammed your head against one and walked away with a pulsating bruise.

 Thankfully, they had Dustin to keep them all entertained; the prospect of danger seemed to do little to quell his rushing words that spilt from his lips like a hurried river; he brought up the superheroes again, causing that odd mixture of sorrow, yet elation to build within Scarlet's gut. With the things she'd done, she'd never be a hero, but she was more than thrilled to hear the children paint her as such.

 It might have sounded odd, but despite the fact that Scarlet was presently trudging through a vine-caked tunnel ready to light a fire and send every inch of it up in a blaze with a bunch of kids — and a teen — that she'd only known for a few hours at most... she wasn't afraid. She was actually kind of... content.

 Kali and the others had always done their best to make Scarlet feel welcome, to feel a part of the group even despite their conflicting morals and opinions but it had never quite worked. Having Kali by her side had been enough to tough it out, to bide her time, but knowing that each time Kali, Axel, Dottie, Mick and Funshine left another person would wind up dead... she couldn't help but feel a crushing amount of guilt. She could have stopped them, it was as much her fault as it was theirs.

 Now, surrounded by children who only wanted to help save Will Byers and assist Eleven on her conquest, as well as Steve who despite having his ass handed to him, was still ready and willing to protect the children huddled behind him. She was a part of that; she was helping people.

 She had been so very enveloped with her own thoughts, that the only thing to snap her back to reality had been a very high-pitched scream — Dustin's very high-pitched scream. Her head snapped up, eyes tearing from the vines that scuttled beneath her, only to catch sight of Dustin on his knees gagging and coughing into his gloved hands. His face had flushed, and a cloud of what looked like ash fluttered around his head, each little particle spewing from a grotesque-looking bulb spurting from the cavern wall.

 Scarlet had gotten to his side in an instant and wrenched him away from the spores, "Jesus Christ, are you okay?" Her hands firmly planted themselves atop his shoulders, eyes darting between his as she looked for any sign of harm.

 His screaming and coughing never ceased. Everyone had gathered around; Mike had tossed his map to the ground calling for his friend. Lucas seized him by the arm shaking him for a response. Steve clicked in his face.

 Then, he fell utterly silent and peered at them all. His voice was even, "I'm okay."

 Scarlet wanted to throttle him. Her heart was pounding, thinking the kid would topple to the ground as ash poured from his throat; thinking they'd watch little Dustin Henderson — quite literally — bite the dust.

 "Why would you do that?" Scarlet breathed, flicking the boy at the very centre of his forehead. He recoiled, swatting her hand away.

 Steve shook his head, swiftly turning his back on the boy who had caused him nothing but grief for the past few days, "Very funny, man."

 Dustin at least had the decency to slump where he was standing and mutter a small apology; it didn't last long, o course, for he quickly fell back in step with Lucas and Max, all three talking between themselves, leaving Mike to call out their directions, before he too, joined them.

 That left Scarlet and Steve side by side; with all the kids so close, it would be easy enough to keep an eye on them. They were a little head-strong, but neither of the two truly believed they'd turn tail and explore the tunnels alone.

 They certainly looked a sight as they walked with an arms-length between them. Both teenagers were various shades of blue and purple. Each of their knuckles were raw and occasionally a small droplet of blood would squeeze between the scabbed-over skin and trail towards their fingers.

 Their fingers, noses and cheeks were still a perpetual pink, leftover stains from a concoction of their blood, and the blood that had dripped from Billy's knuckles.

 Every movement caused them both pain; their goggles were so snug that their noses ached, likely splintered beneath the skin. Every step caused their stomachs to contrict — they were likely bruised to hell and back too.

 Steve glanced at her through his peripheral; he'd been seen with cuts and bruises all the damn time; his rough-housing with the others back when King Steve was still his title, the fight with Jonathan, there had even been one with Tommy H after the previous years events. But to Steve, Scarlet just didn't look the type... He shook his head, scolding himself — as if Nancy looked the type to wield a damn gun. As if Will Byers looked the type to play host to a monster.

 "You alright?" He questioned softly, voice hardly grazing her ears.

 "Hm?" Scarlet hummed, tearing her sights from the particles flitting around her; it was like some miserable sort of snowfall, each spore slowly tumbling down, only to rise higher with the air that streamed through the passageways. She blinked, watching as his eyes trailed over her face, stopping right at her throbbing nose ​​— he almost looked guilty, "Oh. It's fine, I think I might have broken his in return."

 Steve pouted, watching her for a sliver of doubt, to see if she resented him for forcing the fight into her hands, all because he couldn't handle Billy fucking Hargrove. All because he had asked that her powers stay hidden. When she tilted her head, small strands of raven obscuring the view of her eyes, he smiled, "So it was worth it?"

 "Oh, absolutely."

 His chuckle echoed through the cave, "I wish I could have seen it."

 It was Max to pipe up, her voice like the shrill chime of a bell as she hopped higher, catching a glimpse of the teens over Dustin's round head, "It was awesome!"

 Steve had moved to say something further but his words had died on his tongue. Before them all was — what they assumed to be — the hub. The area was vast, clusters of vines crept and crawled across the ground like scuttling bugs. There was a magnitude of tunnels each sprouting from the cavern and off to God knows where. There had to have been at least a dozen, maybe even two dozen trails to proceed with.

 Scarlet almost muttered something along the lines of 'well thank God we have that map' but those words hadn't come. Like Steve's, her words fizzled out like embers on a wet log as she slowly stooped her eyes from the openings, from the wriggling vines crawling up the walls... to the ground. 

 There were bones everywhere. Each one almost sparkled, completely cleaned free of any flesh or blood; the Demo-dogs had done some work. If they weren't careful, Scarlet knew they'd soon be joining the splinters of marrow.

 Scarlet was the first to step out and immediately she felt a hand grab at her jacket — Steve. He spluttered, unable to actually speak, but she didn't move further. With his fingers curled tight within her leather jacket, Scarlet merely teetered forwards, peeking around the room with wide, bruised eyes.

 Mike stepped up, his sneakers planted right beside Scarlet's mud-caked converse. He looked at her, then at Steve who finally untangled his fingers. For a lanky little lad, he sure held some fierce determination within his beady eyes. He outdid them, taking one final step forwards, neck craned to face his companions, "Let's drench it."

━━━━━━━

24-12-2019

edited version: 29-06-2022

i had to split this chapter too; i hadn't even gotten halfway through editing it and i hit 7k. Damn. 

No but the new interactions between Scar and Steve? The kids being the ones to pick her name and Scar actually agreeing to it? Crying in the club fr. Two chapters left for act one; then onto season three !<3

don't forget to let me know what you think; and remember that i now require a particular number of comments and feedback before i consider releasing the next part (this is just to ensure people remain engaged and supportive, as well as to allow me to see what you all enjoyed most about each chapter!)