My Brother's Enemy • Billy Hargrove Fanfic

Chapter 31

Lauryn held her arms tightly across her head, preparing for the worse when someone came up,  shielding Lauryn themself. She opened her eyes to find Nancy, Steve, Robin and Eddie fighting off the bats while Billy blocked her from the strays. He would occasionally throw one to the ground or kick it out of the way.

When the coast was clear Lauryn could hear the group panting. Billy helped her up, examining the torn up shirt and her scratched up back. "What the fuck?" Billy muttered making sure she was okay.

"It's just a few scratches. That thing dragged me here" Lauryn explained.

"Are you okay?" Nancy asked.

"I'm fine. We have bigger issues" Lauryn said looking around at the place they were in. "Plus my Walkman is official broke" Lauryn pointed out, draining the water from the machine before throwing it on the ground.

Suddenly the shrieking sound returned. This time in tenfold. The group huddled closely before Nancy suggested the woods. "The woods. Come on"

"Great more running" Robin muttered as they all ran for the woods. Lauryn sprinted with others through the woods. She looked around, finding them familiar. It was then she realized Skull Rock was up ahead. She pushed past the others diving under the rock for cover, waving the others on.

The shrieking noise continued on for a while. There seemed to be no end in sight until eventually they just disappeared.

"Oh... okay. That was close" Robin sighed, getting up from the ground.

"Yeah. Too close" Eddie weakly muttered as well. The group wandered out from under the rock, peeking out into the sky.

"So uh, this place is like Hawkins but with monsters and nasty shit?" Eddie asked from a top the rock he had climbed up.

"Pretty much" Nancy said. Billy glanced back at Lauryn's back to find she was still bleeding. He tore off the shirt he had on, revealing his muscular arms on the wife beater he had on underneath.

"Hold still" he whispered as he tied the broken shirt around her back.

"Shit" Lauryn muttered biting her lip to subside the initial pain. Eddie began to climb down the rock but Nancy warned him. "Watch out for the veins. It's all a hive mind"

"It's all a what?" Eddie questioned.

"All the creepy crawled around here. They're like one or something. Step on a vine, you're stepping on a bat, you're stepping on Vecna" Steve explained. Eddie carefully climbed back down.

"But everything from our world is still here, right? Except people? Obviously" Robin questioned.

"As far as I understand it, yeah"

"Great. Cause I need a Walkman and fast" Lauryn said, feeling a sense that Vecna was far behind.

"We need more than a Walkman. We needs guns. We should go to the police station" Robin suggested.

"We don't need to go all the way downtown. I have guns. In my bedroom. I also have a Walkman somewhere in the house" Nancy said.

"You, Nancy Wheeler, have guns. Plural. In your bedroom?" Eddie asked shocked. He walked over joining the group.

"Still have that nail bat?" Billy asked Steve.

"Nail bat?" Eddie once more questioned.

"My mom has a safe in the basement. I know the code. I'm assuming she has a gun for when my dad blows the last straw. I have a Walkman at my house as well" Lauryn said.

"They're just full of surprises, aren't they?" Robin weakly laughed.

"Here's my jacket. For your back" Eddie sighed, throwing it at Lauryn. She graciously slipped it on.

The ground began to shake like a violent earthquake before a large snarling sound filled the air.

Lauryn fell back into Billy while Steve held on to Nancy. Robin and Eddie were on the ground, staring fearfully into the sky.

"Yeah so guns sound like a pretty good idea to me" Eddie harshly swallowed. Fear still lingering in his eyes.

"Yeah me too"

"Okay. Then what are we waiting for?" Steve asked.

"Let's split up. I'll go to my house. Lauryn can go to her's. We can meet back up at my house once you get the guns to craft a plan" Nancy dictated. Lauryn nodded her head in agreeance.

"I'm going with Lauryn" Billy spoke out making Steve roll his eyes.

"I'll go with Nance" Steve quickly responded.

"Dibs on Nancy and Steve" Robin childishly called out. Eddie whined like a toddler.

"No. Come on. I've been stuck with them for so long"

"Just get moving" Nancy said before her, Steve and Robin took off for her house. Lauryn did the same leaving Eddie behind. He quickly ran after the last two people he wanted to spend time with.

"So we couldn't take like a lesser creepy road?" He asked as Lauryn carefully combatted her way through the forest.

"We're almost there" Lauryn reassured him. "Look, I want to thank you for saving me" she said, embarrassed she couldn't have taken care of herself back there. Not with Chrissy, not with the bats.

"Hey, I'm a total wimp. It's all your boyfriend over there" Eddie said, pointing to Billy who was a few feet ahead making sure there was no danger lurking.

"He's not my boyfriend. To be honest, I'm not sure if he'll ever be again" Lauryn revealed. Eddie looked at her shocked.

"Come on. Hargrove was made for you Harrington. I remember my first senior year. You two were like the oddest couple until everyone envied you. Man, I even wanted to get with you and I was so nerdy, playing dungeons and dragons with the geeks" Eddie said, shocked.

"Was? I think you still are" Lauryn joked, causing Eddie to pretend stab his heart. "Serious though, Billy has brought out the worst of me as well. Is the best parts worth all of that?" Lauryn asked Eddie. "Plus, there's more than just Hawkins out there. If we make it out alive" Lauryn commented. Eddie's heart bursted in that moment. He had been hoping a small percent of why she wouldn't get back with Billy was because she had feelings for him.

"Come on. I see your house" Billy softly called out waving the two on.

*****
Are you team Eddie or Billy?