I swear we had a relatively normal life last week. Then Chrissy came over for a deal and everything went to shit. I wasn't home at the time, but when we couldn't find Eddie, I panicked. Now we're about to go back into the heart of this nightmare to put an end to it.
This is such a risk - everything is on the line. I was worried about leaving Max, but it had to be done. Now my main concern is all of us who came through the gate. I could die - we all could. I fear that once I leave my brother that I'll never seen him again. His job is fairly easy compared to what I have to do with Steve, Robin and Nancy.
"We are not heroes."
"Hey, we kill this guy and we're all heroes. Doesn't matter what the rest of Hawkins says." I correct him.
"Come on, we should go." Steve hurries me.
"Dustin, do me a favour and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid." I smirk.
"Hey, I'm older than you." Eddie defends himself.
"Only by a few minutes, dipshit." I laugh before giving him a firm hug.
"Go kick his ass."
Here we go. As we walk away from the pair, Nancy tries to convince me that everything will work out. Now hiding, I hear the familiar sound of Eddie's guitar wailing. He's been practicing so much, so I never had any doubts that he'd nail it. With the bats flying above us, that's our signal to go. After a final glance at the duo, I join Steve's side on the walk to the house. When we open the door, I can't help but comment.
"I guess he really didn't want any visitors." I reference the copious amount of vines protecting the hive mind.
"Evidently not." Robin adds as we walk into the madness. When we get to the grandfather clock, it chimes.
"Max..." Nancy realises what it means.
"We're too late." I lose hope.
"No, we can still stop him." Steve keeps walking though I can tell he's pissed and devastated.
I share quick saddened glances with the girls before catching up with Steve. In order to make it up the most disgusting flights of stairs, we have to follow his steps exactly. After the first flight, it doesn't look like it's clearing up any time soon.
Suddenly, the ground shakes as another upside down earthquake hits. I grab onto Robin for stability and to stop her falling down the stairs. When it ends, we take a moment to compose ourselves. However, that goes out of the window when I notice a vine wrapping around Robin's leg.
"Robin!" I try to warn her. As she is pinned to the wall, she accidentally drags me with her. "Shit!" Now we're both stuck to the this wall.
"Steve!"
Steve immediately swings his axe to break Robin out as Nancy tries to free me. It doesn't take long for them to get thrown against the wall opposite us. As these vines strangle the life out of me, tears spill and make my vision of Steve and Nancy blurred. With everything getting hazy, all I can think about is my brother and my uncle - they're all I've had for years. After what feels like hours of torture, we suddenly drop to the ground. Groaning in pain and gasping for air, I can't tell what's real or not.
"You okay?" Steve asks as he helps me up.
"Yeah. Yeah, I think so." I answer as I try to catch my breath. "We better fucking kill him after that."
"We will." Nancy assures me.
As we venture up the rest of the stairs, we are extra careful to prevent us from being trapped in the vines again. Following them into the room, I'm the last to see this monster. He is one ugly motherfucker. Let's end this.
Steve is first to light and throw a molotov cocktail at him. The impact wakes him up - we have to act fast. Nancy starts shooting as we get more ready. Robin and I give each other small nods before launching them at the same time. With one final shot from Nancy, the ugly bastard flies through the window.
"That was badass, Wheeler." My jaw is practically on the floor.
"Thanks." She says as her breathing is still heavy.
After a quick celebratory group hug, we briskly make our way out of this deathtrap. Vecna's body isn't there - but there's burn marks. Maybe he just disappeared or something. As we walk back, we discuss the insanity that we've just been through. We even throw out a couple of jokes.
"Dustin?" Robin calls out in a confused tone.
Hearing her call, Dustin springs up and runs over to us. He hugs Steve with so much force that he's knocked back a little. We all share concerned glances before I look at where he just came from.
"Shit, Eddie." I sprint over to his lifeless and bloodied body. Tears immediately spill as I beg him to do something. "Eddie! Eddie, come on! Eddie, wake up! Please! Eddie!" My voice continuously cracks as I sob and plead. "Please, I need you. We were supposed to graduate next month. We were supposed to take Corroded Coffin across the world. There's no Corroded Coffin without you. No Hellfire. There's no me without you. You can't leave me."
"Y/N..." I faintly hear Nancy over my bawling.
"We're so sorry." Robin finishes Nancy's thought.
"It's gonna be okay." I don't believe a word that leaves Harrington's mouth.
"He made me promise to look after you." Dustin kneels beside me. Him take care of me? He's just a kid.
"I'm gonna take care of you, Dusty. We'll take care of each other." I pull him into a tight hug as we both cry. "I'm never letting you out of my sight again, you hear me? I've lost too much by leaving."
"He's a hero."
"I swear if he comes back as a vampire I'll find a way to kill him for this."
"It'd be so metal though." I let out a small laugh through the pain at Dustin's comment.
2 days later
I didn't want to leave him there. Steve had to pry me off his corpse. I couldn't go home - it's too painful. I'm terrified that something could've happened to my uncle. Too worried about how people would react to seeing me - the twin of the alleged psycho freak killer. Dustin understood immediately. Though his mother was hesitant at first given the hysteria surrounding Eddie, she came to her senses and trusted her son's judgement.
After 2 days, I'm finally leaving the house. We're going to donate a bunch of stuff and help out. The reunion with the others was a rollercoaster. Seeing them was great but breaking the news about Eddie and Max's coma brought everything back.
Even though we're here to help, there's still stares and whispers. When I said I wouldn't leave Dustin, I meant it. We're handing out water when I look up to see my uncle pinning our posters.
"Wayne? Wayne!" I race to him.
"Y/N?" He drops his bag of posters and holds me close. "Are you okay? Where have you been?"
"I'm okay, just pretty bruised. It's a long story. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I've been worried sick. Where's your brother?" He asks the inevitable and heartbreaking question as Dustin hobbles over to us.
"He... He didn't make it." I tear up again as I fiddle with the ring I took from his body. We had matching rings, but I always loved this one.
"I'm... I'm so sorry." Dustin shares his sympathy as he reaches into the pocket and pulls out Eddie's pick necklace to hand it to Wayne.
"Keep it, Dusty. He'd want you to keep it." I lower his hand.
"Are you sure?" I just nod before turning back to my uncle.
"I didn't get to him until it was too late. I didn't get to say goodbye." I cry as I hug Wayne again. "But Dustin was with him until his last breath. He died a hero. I guess there's a little bit of comfort knowing he wasn't alone." I try to bring the tiniest bit of light to the situation. "I'm sorry I didn't come home - it hurt too much to come back and I was scared people would be after me like they were Eddie. I was too scared to come home and see that you were hurt or dead too." I sob an apology - still in his familiar embrace.
"It's okay, sweetheart. I understand. There's no home to go to anyway."
"What do you mean?" I question as I pull away.
"It got destroyed in the earthquake not much survived - somehow his guitar did though."
"Of course it did." I chuckle for the first time in a while. "Where have you been staying then?"
"Paul a few trailers down was kind enough to have me because his trailer is okay."
"Mr Munson, you can stay at my house if you want. It's just my mom and I - and a cat as long as that's not an issue." Dustin offers.
"I couldn't."
"I insist."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course. Y/N's been with us since it happened. My mom and I would happily take you in."
"Thank you, son. That's very kind."
A huge part of me died that day. Nothing will ever be the same. This is gonna be the hardest thing I ever have to do. What's a twin without their partner in crime? But with Dustin's loving nature and the fact that I still have Wayne, hopefully they can ease the pain.
Eddie, if you can hear this, you were the best twin anyone could have. I love you, Eds. Corroded Coffin may have split, but I promise I will keep Hellfire running as the new DM. You always said I had a flare for storytelling. I promise to look after the sheep and shelter the freaks. But most of all, I promise to care for and protect our own Dustin Henderson and Wayne. We'll never forget you and who you really were. You're our hero.