Cry Baby (Steve Harrington x Male OC)

[6]

Hopper turned from Erin looking between Jonathan, Nancy, and Joyce. "Let's go. Callahan take a police report and get them out of here" he commanded grabbing his keys. The others followed him out, Jonathan chuckling at the hysterical woman being left with officer Callahan as he passed them.

Once outside they split up, planning to meet at the Byers house. Hopper turned his lights on and sped down the road, Jonathan following. Erin didn't even have time to sit down before they were heading down the road. "Damn Jonathan! Let's take this thing drag racing one day!" Erin laughed, grabbing onto the seat as they drifted around a corner.

They made it to the house in record time, skidding to a halt as they all jumped out. They ran into the house, Hopper and Joyce following as Jonathan led the way to Will's room. He grabbed the walkie out from under Will's bed, handing it to Nancy.

"Mike? Mike are you there?" Nancy called into the walkie "This is an emergency. We need you to answer us. Where are you?" Erin paced as they anxiously waited for a response. There was nothing just radio silence.

Erin took the walkie from Nancy, letting out a huff "Mike. Dustin. Whoever. It's Erin. You need to answer. It's not a Lando Calrissian setup. I promise. Just answer us" he pleaded lightly shaking the device.

There was another moment before a voice sounded through the walkie. "Erin?" The familiar voice of his little brother called. "We're here"

***

The kids confessed they were hiding in the old junkyard across town. They were being chased by these men in suits driving white vans and decided to seek shelter as they saw a helicopter roaming the skies in search of them.

  Hopper drove them to the junkyard, lights flashing the entire way as he weaved in between pedestrians. Once they approached the gates Hopper cut his lights off, trying to pull into the junkyard as quiet as possible.

  There was a white van in the middle of the junkyard, two big men climbing out of it. Hopper put the car in park motioning for the others to stay in the car before sneaking out, gun drawn. He crept up behind each man taking them both out with the butt of the gun.

  "Damn. Chiefs an assassin. That's fucking terrifying" Erin breathed, causing a chuckle from Jonathan. Hopper waved at them from next to the van, signaling for the others to join them. They all hopped out of the car, looking around cautiously before meeting Hopper.

  The chief once again held a finger to his mouth pointing to the bus. The group crept over to the bus door, trying to see if there was anyone on the bus. Suddenly, Hopper swung the door open causing a shrill scream from the back of the bus. Relief flooded Erin's veins. He knew that voice, it was Dustin.

They could hear the kids cursing each other in a fit of whispers, Hopper grinned evilly before stomping onto the bus with the rest following him. He paused once he got to the back of the bus, poking his head behind a seat. All the children screamed clutching each other, calming when they realized it was just Hopper.

"You scared the shit out of us!" Mike yelled clutching his chest. The group of kids all stood up one by one, popping up from under the seats.

Erin smiled wide as he made eye contact with his brother. Dustin's eyes about burst out of his skull as he noticed Erin, frantically crawling over the bus seats to meet him. Reaching Erin the smaller boy crashed into him, clinging to him with a sob "Oh my god!" Dustin cried, his voice muffled by Erin's shirt.

He clung to his little brother as if he would just disappear. As if he would be transported back to that decaying dimension in a snap. He kissed Dustin's head, ruffling his hair before pulling away. Dustin gave him a toothless smile as he wiped his tears, Hopper clearing his throat.

"We need to leave before they send more of those guys up here. We need to go somewhere safe" Hopper commanded, leading everyone out of the bus.

"We can't go home. They know where we all live" Mike chimed in, making Hopper pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"What about the school?" Nancy suggested making the others perk up. "That way we can stay hidden in a big area"

The chief seemed to like the idea, escorting the others into his truck before hopping into the drivers side. Joyce was in the front with Jonathan in between her and Hopper, Lucas Eleven and Mike were crammed into the sheltered bed of the truck, and Erin Dustin and Nancy were in the back seat. Dustin felt as if his brother would just disappear. He didn't want to let him out of his sight.

Everyone took turns filling in the rest of the group on what they had missed, that way everyone had all the crucial information. "So this.. this monster. It took Erin, and Barbara" Joyce started, her voice cracking "It may have taken my Will?"

Eleven nodded "To the upside down. He's hiding"

Joyce's eyes burned with hope "can you find him?" Eleven looked to her uneasily before slowly nodding her head. Nancy looked at her with a newfound hope "Could you find Barb too?"

"I can try" she said softly, looking to Mike. They seemed to have a silent conversation. "She has to be able to connect with them. Somewhere she can focus her mind. Like a sensory deprivation tank"

Hopper scoffed, looking at them through the rear view mirror "and how do we do that?"

"Maybe we could make our own!" Dustin chimed in "With.. with a lot of water and salt! The school has tons of salt to ice the roads. Maybe they have a tub or something"

"The middle school has a kiddie pool!" Lucas pointed. Hopper nodded, turning a corner and driving up the hill to the middle school. He skidded to a halt, swinging the door open before he even put the truck in park.

The group sprinted into the building, Lucas leading them to the gym. They opened the storage closet revealing hundreds of bags of salt, and behind that was the pool supplies. The older of the group began to unload the pounds of salt while the younger kids drug the pool out into the middle of the gym, dragging a hose to the pool.

They scrambled around like chickens with their heads cutoff for at least a good thirty minutes before the pool was finally ready. They set up the radio from the av club on the bleachers and made Eleven a blindfold out of Nancy's shirt sleeve. They all sat around the pool nervously as Eleven climbed in, wrapping the blindfold over her eyes and laying flat on her back.

Everything was completely silent aside from the steady static of the radio. Dustin and Erin shared an uneasy look, freezing as Eleven began to mumble.

"Have you found Barb?" Nancy asked the small girl, leaning forward over the pool. Eleven looked distressed, she began to shake slightly "Gone" she whispered before screaming "Gone! Gone! Gone!"

Erin and Nancy both gasped, tears begging to spill. The two clutched each other as they cried, Joyce going to Eleven's side to calm her.

Guilt gnawed at Erin's mind. Barb was dead. His best friend. If Erin wouldn't have approached that damn gate he wouldn't have gotten knocked out. Maybe if he would've stayed put that thing would've killed him instead. He wished it did.

Erin was trapped in his grief induced thoughts, not fully comprehending that they had located Will. Will was still alive and they could still save him. They were going to save him.

"You all stay put. Do not go anywhere until we come back with Will" Hopper commanded, standing with Joyce, sliding his gun into his holster.

"What? No let's us help!" Jonathan pushed jumping up as well, the other two older children following. Hopper gave him a stern look. "We need you here. Make sure these kids stay safe"

The pair left without another word, Jonathan let out a huff of frustration. "They have no idea what they're up against! That things still out there!"

Nancy's eyes burned with determination. "What if we distracted it? Called it away while they're in the upside down" Erin looked at her with a grin, leading the two to the gymnasium doors "Let's kill that son of a bitch"