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MUNITIONS
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STEVE PARKED THE camper van in the War Zone parking lot and the group all climbed out. It was safe to say that there was a reason only Eddie knew of this place out of the group, but he stayed behind with Dustin and Lucas. Erica lead the way into the shop and everyone dispersed around to find weapons. Nancy had warned everyone to be fast in order to avoid 'angry hicks'.
The stack of guns made Irina feel a type of way she hadn't felt since being in Russia. She could list each and every gun on the shelf, what ammo it needed, and how to work it. Though she was used to working with more accurate guns, like snipers. But snipers weren't gonna work against Vecna. No, they needed something bigger. More destructive. A single bullet wasn't going to take this guy down.
"So you know a lot about all this shit." Erica's voice startled Irina a little as the girl approached her. The words were a question, but came out as more of a fact, like most things usually do with Erica Sinclair.
"You could say that." Irina replied, licking her lips. She had a strange taste in her mouth.
"You hungry or something?" Erica questioned with a cocked brow.
"Probably. I just had a weird taste in my mouth." Irina responded.
"What taste?" Erica inquired, curiously.
"Kind of... metallic, I don't know. Why does it matter?" Irina asked.
"Because that's a symptom of pregnancy." Erica said. Irina almost choked on her own breath when she heard the words.
"Woah, woah, woah. W-where'd that come from? Why would you say that? How did you know that?" Irina questioned.
"I know everything." Erica shrugged. "Are you?"
"Am I what?" Irina sighed.
"Pregnant? With child? Fertilised? Knocked up?" Erica asked.
"No. I'm not." Irina answered, firmly. "Now, back to the weapons."
Irina and Erica scoured through various weapons, like knives and guns for a while, tossing the ones they wanted into a shopping cart. They turned down another aisle and Irina felt Erica suddenly grab her arm. Irina looked down at her in confusion but Erica just nodded her head forwards. Nancy was stood with a gun and Jason had his hand on the barrel. He looked threatening.
"Go get the others and pay for the stuff. I've got this." Irina whispered and Erica nodded. Irina fast walked down the aisle but slowed as she approached Nancy and Jason. "Hey, Nance. You almost done?" She fake smiled and stood besides Nancy.
"Y-yeah. We're done here." Nancy scowled to Jason as he gripped her gun. "So let go." She ordered but Jason just smirked over to Irina, his grasp on the gun barrel still firm.
"Harrington's girl. Am I right?" He asked, though it seemed he already knew the answer.
"Let go of the gun, Jason." Irina repeated Nancy's words. Jason slowly took his hand off Nancy's gun but instead picked up the silver pistol that was on the counter besides him.
"You know," he started, waving the gun around in Irina's face.
"You don't know shit." Irina snapped before Jason could finish his sentence. "So back off."
"You're brave, Irina. Very brave." Jason taunted, getting closer to her with the gun. "Not many people would say that to a guy with a gun in his hand."
"The gun is in your hand - how dangerous can it be?" Irina snickered. "Besides, you're the brave one for holding a gun near my face. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into." She said before grabbing the barrel of his gun and harshly pushing it forwards so it hit him square in the nose. Jason let out a loud grunt in pain and Irina quickly ushered Nancy away with her.
"Thanks for the save back there." Nancy said as they approached the others.
"Don't sweat it." Irina replied.
"What happened?" Robin asked as everyone began hurrying out of the shop.
"Irina broke Jason's nose." Nancy answered.
"Nice going, babe." Steve smirked, proudly.
"Thanks." Irina smiled.
"We gotta get outta here. His friends are all over the place. We don't need the trouble." Nancy said as they all hurried out of the store and towards the RV.
"What happened?" Lucas asked as the group came bursting through the van doors.
"Your old friends are here." Erica told him as Steve jumped into the drivers seat.
"Shit." Lucas cursed.
"Let's go, let's go, let's go!" Dustin ordered.
"I'm going, I'm going, sit down!" Steve yelled back to him.
***
The group parked the RV in a field that was far enough away for Jason not to come looking and far away enough for them not to be seen making weapons by any regular people. Dustin and Eddie were making shields with bin kids and nails, Lucas and Erica were making spears, Nancy and Max were making Nancy's gun more accurate, Irina was by herself in the RV organising a couple guns, and Robin and Steve were just outside the RV making molotov cocktails.
Steve's eyes had barely left the ground. The more he thought about Irina levitating in the air while her bones snapped in front of his eyes, the more he wanted to vomit there and then. At one point, he places the van of gasoline on the floor and stressfully rubbed his hands over his face.
"Are you worried?" Robin asked.
"Yes, I'm goddamn worried, Robin. I'm more than worried. I-I'm..." he snapped. He didn't meant to. It just sort of came out. "I'm sorry." He apologised.
"It's okay." Robin told him.
"I didn't mean to snap. I'm just scared. I'm terrified of losing her, Robin. I can't lose her. If she... if she dies, I die." He sighed, running his hands through his hair.
"I'm scared, too. I have this terrible... gnawing feeling that it might not work out for us this time." Robin admitted.
"You think we shouldn't be doing this?" Steve asked.
"I think we're mad fools, the lot of us. But... but if we don't stop him, who will? We have to try, right?" Robin huffed.
"Yeah." Steve nodded hesitantly, before clinking his alcohol with Robin's bottle. "To killing Vecna."
"Slash Henry." Robin added.
"Slash One." Steve said as they both took swigs.
"And Steve?" Robin said.
"Mhm?" Steve replied.
"I know I said I feel like things aren't gonna go our way this time, but I think Irina has been... chosen to do what she has to do for a reason." She told him.
"Yeah?" Steve asked.
"Yeah. Robin nodded. "It's because she can do it. She's... strong. And I know she'd deny it, but I think she's pretty good at facing things she's afraid of. Especially from her past. Like when we got taken by the Evil Russians. Irina was straight in there, facing these people from her past that hurt her so much, just to try and save us. She can do it." Robin explained to him and he let out an exasperated sigh.
"I know. She's stronger than she thinks. But I just can't help thinking of the worst."