zero || eddie munson (UNEDITED!!!)

9 ~ the plan

"But sounds are boring," Zero whined. "I hate trying to imitate sounds."

"Sounds are powerful," Peter corrected.

"But how am I supposed to make you hear something I've never heard?" Null asked, no stranger to her lack of imagination stunting her skills.

Peter pulled out a walkman, something Zero had never seen before, and handed it to her. "Here, listen to this and make me hear exactly that."

So, Zero listened, and after a few failed attempts, was able to copy exactly what she had heard. 4 chimes of some bell, she had assumed, that played before stopping briefly, then picking back up again showing that there was a pattern. Zero moved to hand it back to Peter.

"Keep it, you'll need it for more of your later training," Peter smiled down at her as she thanked him.

"You've heard them too?" Eddie panicked, concerned with what Null had muttered before going deep into thought, as if trying to remember something.

"Dustin," Null beckoned, "Backpack, bitte." Dustin who had been wearing it, simply turned around as Null rummaged through it, eventually finding her old walkman.

"Is that supposed to mean something?" Erica asked, doubtfully.

Null rolled her eyes before pressing play, revealing the audio she'd memorized of the 4 chime pattern, making Max and Nancy visibly tense, and Robin shudder.

"How'd you get that?" Lucas asked.

"One of the orderlies at Hawkins Lab gave it to me for my training. His name was Peter. Nancy did you see a tall and skinny blonde man in your vision?" Null asked.

"Yes-" Nancy replied.

"It's him. Peter, Vecna, Henry, One. It's all him," It clicked for Null.

"So what does this mean?" Steve asked.

"It means he's been telling us his plan this whole time," Max answered.

"Four kills," Lucas deducted. "Four gates. End of the world."

"If that's true..." Dustin swallowed nervously. "He's only one kill away."

"Oh Jesus Christ," Eddie put his head in his hands, "Jesus Christ."

"Try 'em again. Try 'em again," Steve urged.

"Anything?" Dustin asked.

"No. Rang a few times, then went to busy signal," Max answered.

"Maybe you punched it wrong," Steve suggested. "Try again."

Null's focus was directed elsewhere as she felt an illusion in the air. The same as the time she'd seen Eleven in the diner. Null's eyes drifted behind Max, landing on a cautious Eleven with buzzed hair and a white uniform.

Null's hand flew to her mouth to try to cover a sob, trying to hold back the inevitable mental break down. "What happened to you?" Null asked just barely above a whisper, hardly aware of the eyes of the group on her back.

Eleven ignored the question. "You can't fight him. He's too strong. I'm coming back soon, just wait until I get back."

Null smiled sadly, "we don't have that type of time. If we wait Peter could kill another person. Their blood will be on our hands for no reason other than our hesitation."

"Please, don't do this," Eleven urged.

"Get here as soon as you can," Null told her. "We'll beat him down a bit for you."

"Uh, sorry, who is she talking to?" Eddie asked.

Null wiped a few tears that had fallen onto her face away with the back of her hand. She sniffed before grabbing one of the couch pillows, setting it on the floor, kneeling down and punching it and screaming to release some of her anguish.