𝙂𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙃𝙚𝙧 - ᴍᴀx ᴍᴀʏꜰɪᴇʟᴅ

Chapter Thirty-Four: Entering The Gate

"Hey, where are you going?" Steve asks, watching as Dustin starts walking down a trail. "Hey, hey!" Steve says, making Dustin turn back. "Eddie's still a wanted man. We can't just go hike in the woods." Steve scoffs, gesturing over at Eddie.

"This little steel capsule might be the key to saving both Max, and Eddie." Dustin says, holding up the compass. "What say you, Eddie the Banished?" Dustin says weirdly, earning Eddie's attention. "I say you're asking me to follow you into Mordor. Which, if i'm totally straight with you, i think it's a really bad idea." Eddie answers honestly, making Dustin furrow his eyebrows.

"But, uh, the Shire.. the Shire is burning." Eddie adds, making Ava grow more and more confused as the conversation deepens. "This is like.. definitely some DND shit, right?" Ava asks, pointing over at both Dustin and Eddie, Dustin's jumping proving her right. Eddie stands up, "So Mordor it is." Eddie says, looking over at Ava.

The group starts following Dustin down the trail, Ava asking the entire group what a "Mordor" is, not receiving any responses. "What is Mordor?" Steve scoffs, making Ava turn to him with a bright smile. "My question exactly, no one's answering though." Ava sighs, crossing her arms.

~~~

It was now nighttime, and the group was at Lover's Lake. Dustin takes a look down at the compass, all the arrows being spun and pointed at every direction.

"Something's happening." Dustin says, walking further, the group still following behind. "Dustin? Can you slow down? Dustin?" Eddie says, the boy ignoring him. "I think we're getting close." Dustin says before Eddie grabs his shoulders cautiously. "Watch your step, big guy." Eddie says, looking down at the lake.

"Oh man." Steve sighs, "You gotta be shitting me." He adds. "Yeah. I thought these woods were familiar." Eddie says, "Lover's Lake." Robin says. "This is confounding." Dustin scoffs, "I'm sorry? Confounding?" Ava says, peering over Dustin's shoulder, not knowing what the word meant at all.

"There's a gate at Lover's Lake?" Max speaks up from beside Ava, trying to get a better look at the lake. "Whenever the Demogorgon attacked, it always left an opening." Nancy says, remembering what Ava had said about the gate. "Maybe Vecna's the same way." She adds. "Yeah, only one way to find out." Steve sighs, walking over to get something.

He later comes back with a kayak. "Easy, i.. i said easy, man." Steve scoffs, Eddie practically throwing the kayak down into the water. "Sorry, dude." Eddie responds, "Yeah, i'm just gonna do that." Robin says, stepping onto the kayak carefully. "Yeah, that works too." Steve rolls his eyes, "Someone's sassy today." Ava says from beside him, receiving another eye roll from the older Harrington.

"Wheeler." Eddie says, holding his hand out for Nancy to step onto the boat. "Steve, please let me go." Ava begs, Steve giving her a dramatic glare. "You sure you wanna leave your little girlfriend over there?" Steve says, gesturing to Max. Ava turns around and looks over at Max, whom was just sitting and talking to Lucas.

"First off, she's not my girlfriend." Ava scoffs, Steve raising his eyebrows. "Second, i have powers." Ava says, lifting her arms up, a small amount of black fog appearing from her palms. "You're gonna want to be extra careful, right?" Ava says with a wink, hoping she's subtle. "Whatever, come on." Steve says, waving his arm for the girl to go onto the kayak.

"Hey! Wait!" Dustin shouts, jogging over to the kayak. "You trynna sink us?" Eddie says, gently pushing Dustin. "This thing holds four people tops, okay?" Eddie says, making Dustin frown. "It's better this way, okay? You guys stay here with Max." Nancy adds, "Why can Ava go?" Dustin scoffs. "Wait, Ava's going to go find the gate?" Max says from behind Dustin, looking over at the kayak.