S4 x E03 — The Monster and the Superhero
DONT FORGET TO VOTE AND COMMENT PLEASE!
——
It was the next day, after Melanie shut off her humanity nobody knew what to do. So Steve took her to his house. Keeping her with him at all times, scared of what she might do. Not just because her humanity was off but also because she was magically carrying a baby that was theirs in her womb.
The group ha currently arrived at Eddie's hiding place. When they walk in they see Eddie at the window standing. He jumps up a little.
"Jesus..."
Dustin smiles holding up a few bags of food, "Delivery service."
After getting Eddie comfortable with his food they all sat down. "So we got, uh, some good news and some bad news. How do you prefer it?"
"Bad news first, always."
"All right. Bad news. We tapped into the Hawkins PD dispatch with our Cerebro, and they're definitely looking for you. Also, they're, uh, pretty convinced you killed Chrissy."
"Like, 100% kind of convinced." Max added.
"And the good news?"
Robin sighs, "Your name hasn't gone public yet. But if we found out about you, it's a matter of time before others do. And once that gets out, everyone and their shallow-minded mother is gonna be gunning for you."
"Hunt the freak, right?"
Melanie was sat with her legs up against a wall and her back on the floor. She snorted at the word, "Freak." She said giggling. Steve gave her a look to stop to which Melanie showed him her vampire teeth which quickly made him back off.
"Exactly."
"So, before that happens, we find Vecna, kill him, and prove your innocence."
"That's all, Dustin? That's all?"
"Yeah, no, that's pretty much it."
"Listen, Eddie, I know everything Dustin is saying sounds totally delusional, but we've actually been through this before. I mean, they have a... a few times, and... and I have once. Mine was more human-flesh-based, theirs was more smoke-related, but bottom line is, collectively, I really feel we got this." Robin says.
Steve scratches his neck joining in, "Yeah see, we usually rely on Melanie. But, uh, as u can see Melanie is not really.. Melanie, so..."
Everyone turned they're head to Melanie who was talking to herself, "I wanna kill someone! I'm bored." She said dragging the last letter along.
Robin nodded kind of concerned and continued, "So we're technically in more of the... Kinda..."
"Brainstorming phase."
"Brainstorming."
Dustin splutters, "There... There's nothing to worry about."
Steve laughs trying to release the tension but it obviously not working. Suddenly sirens are heard in the distance.
"Shit. Tarp. Tarp. Tarp."
Eddie hides under the tarp as the others watch out the window seeing the police cars drive by.
The group goes to drive there leaving Eddie to hide. When they get there they see a very worried and frightened Nancy talking to police officers.
——
The six of them were sat at the picnic table as Nancy got told everything about the Vecna situation. Including Melanie her no humanity situation and pregnancy.
"So you're saying that this thing that killed Fred and Chrissy, it's from the Upside Down? And that Melanie she's pregnant with magical babies and currently has no emotions?"
Steve nods, "If the shoe fits."
"Our working theory is that he attacks with a spell or a curse. Now, whether or not he's doing the bidding of the Mind Flayer or just loves killing teens, we don't know."
"All we know is this is something different. Something new."
"Doesn't make sense."
"It's only a theory."
"No, Fred and Chrissy don't make sense. I mean, why them?"
"Maybe they were just in the wrong place. Were both at the game. And near the trailer park."
"We're at the trailer park."
Melanie looked up at Steve laughing, "Really, Steve? Didn't realize that yet."
Steve sighed rubbing his hand in his eyes, "You know I really do not like your tone."
Melanie gave him the finger, "Shut up, baby."
Steve sighed, "Uh, should we maybe not be here?"
"There is something about this place. Fred started acting weird the second we got here."
"Acting weird as in...?"
"Scared, on edge, upset."
"Melanie said Chrissy was upset too." Dustin said turning to her.
Melanie kept looking at her nails not bothered to explain. Max gave her a shoulder. Melanie rolled her eyes, "Yeah, but not here. She was crying in the bathroom at school."
"Serial killers stalk their prey before they strike, right? So, maybe Fred and Chrissy saw this Vecman..." Melanie felt chills, What if Vecna was after everyone who talked with the counselor? Whatever.
"Vecna."
"Dunno about you, but if I saw some freaky wizard monster, I would mention it to someone."
Melanie laughed, "That's because your a scared little man, Steve."
Steve gave her a face and Max started talking, "Maybe they did. Melanie told me that she saw Chrissy leaving Ms. Kelley's office. If you saw a monster, you... you wouldn't go to the police. They'd never believe you. But you might go to your..."
"Your shrink."
After discussing a plan they all walk off to the car. Melanie walks off away from them and Steve immediately noticed, "Whoa, whoa, Melanie. Mel! Where you going?"
Melanie turns around about to respond to him. When suddenly her eyes go white flashes of a creature go through her mind, the creature is after her and the next thing she sees is herself passed out in Steve's arms.
She goes back to the real world and gasps. Steve is now infront of her shaking her by her shoulders. "Are you okay? You just zoned out there."
"I think I just saw the future."
The group looks up at this. Dustin clears his throat, "What? Something you wanna share with us?"
Melanie shook her head, "I don't wanna waste our time. It's probably just another hallucination or something. I need to go now, I'm hungry!"
"Yeah, okay. Are you out of your mind? It could be important especially now with Vecna on the loose? No, it's too dangerous. You need... You need someone to..."
Steve throws the keys to Robin, "Here. I'll stick with Mel. Take the car, check out the shrink."
"I don't think you want me driving your car."
"Why?"
"I don't have a license."
"Why?"
"I'm poor."
Melanie rolled her eyes getting annoyed realizing she wasn't gonna be able to feed soon, "I can drive."
Steve turned back to her, "No, never again. Please. Anybody but you. No."
Dustin gave him a face suggesting he could drive, "No chance."
"Come on."
"No."
Robin sighed handing the keys back to Steve, "All right, okay. This is stupid."
Nancy agrees joining Robin, "Us ladies will stick together."
Melanie snorts, "Unless you think we need you to protect us."
Steve rolled his eyes watching the three girls walk off to make sure Melanie wouldn't starve, "Be careful."
Dustin turned to Steve, "Just gonna stand there and gawk?"
"Shut up."
"Why don't we go?"
"Okay? Shut up and get in the car. Wipe your feet."
Dustin wipes his feet on the inside of the car, "On the outside, not the inside. Always the babysitter. Always the goddamn babysitter!" Steve drives off with Max in the backseat and Dustin next to him.
——
While Melanie was off with Nancy and Robin. Steve was with Dustin in the car waiting for Max who was at the school counselor's house.
"Okay. She's in."
"I'm missing collarbones, not eyes. So, we gonna talk about... it?"
"Huh? Sorry, talk about what?"
"Your temporary insanity earlier today when you basically threw yourself at Melanie?"
"That's not what happened."
"Pretty sure that's what happened. It was public. There were a lot of witnesses."
"You implying I still have a thing for Mel?"
"No. I'm not implying. I'm stating. And, as it relates to your steadfast refusal to date any other girl. Like I don't know Robin? It's pretty much the only logical explanation."
"That's not the only one. And as for Mel, I was just trying to protect a friend."
Dustin gave him a smirk, "A friend, Henderson. Okay?"
"Okay. A friend that u made pregnant."
Steve turned quiet to which Dustin started laughing, "You're bright red in the face right now."
"I'm not. I don't wanna talk about it. I'll punch you so hard your teeth will fall back out."
"Whoa. Too far."
"Not cool. Sorry."
"Not cool. It's okay."
Max comes back outside again basically running, "Here she comes. Here she comes."
"What'd she say?"
"Nothing, just drive."
"Steve, drive."
"Okay." The tires screech as Steve speeds off like Max asked him.
——
In the meantime Nancy, Robin and Melanie had found background information about Vecna. They were currently walking out of the library as Robin contacted Dustin.
"Dustin, do you copy?"
"Yeah, I copy."
"So, Nancy's a genius. Vecna's first victims date back all the way to 1959. Her shot in the dark was a bull's-eye."
"Okay, that's totally bonkers, but I can't really talk right now."
"What are you doing?"
"Breaking and entering school to retrieve confidential and extremely personal files."
"Can you repeat that?"
"Just get your ass over here, stat. We'll explain everything."
Nancy groans, "Thought they were talking to Ms. Kelley."
Melanie sighs, "We leave them alone for two hours." Before Nancy and Robin could even agree with her Melanie speeded off.
"Where did she go?" Nancy asked confused.
"It's Melanie. She's impatient, especially now with the no emotions thing. She's probably already at the school by now."
And they were right. Melanie was too bored too wait in the car so she made it to the school.
Meanwhile Max, Dustin and Steve were in the counselor office. "It's like a mini-Watergate or something. Hawkins gate."
Steve turned to Dustin, "Didn't those guys get caught?"
"Holy shit." Max said.
"You found it? Yeah, and not just Chrissy's file. Fred was seeing Ms. Kelley too." Max her heart drops seeing the next name.
"What is it?" Steve asks.
"It's Melanie. Melanie goes here too." Max says shocked. Melanie never told her.
Steve and Dustin sighed in panick, "Shit." They said in sync.
Max starts reading the files seeing words go by. Fred and Chrissy were all suffering with headaches, nightmares, trauma. Max felt her heart drop realizing this were all symptoms Melanie had been dealing with since Billy's death as for herself.
It couldn't be? Were they both cursed? By Vecna. Just then Melanie walked into the counselor office.
All three of them turned in fright. But then sighed seeing Melanie. Max felt her heart drop when she realized.
Melanie was about to ask what they were doing when she heard a loud clock chiming, the same sound she heard a few days ago when she was in the woods with Eddie. Not aware of the fact that Max, Steve and Dustin saw Melanie standing infront of them frozen with the white eyes once again.
Melanie started following the sound, a bit scared but also curious. She turned the corner and saw the clock in the wall hanging there. She walked over to it, getting closer and closer.
Suddenly a loud but scared voice was heard, "Melanie.."