S4 x E08 — Papa
DONT FORGET TO VOTE AND COMMENT PLEASE!
——
Melanie was still in Vecna's mind. She was still in the same memory, the one of Dr Brenner giving him the 001 tattoo. Henry was wincing in pain when Brenner finally finished.
"All done. Not so bad, was it? See? There's nothing to be afraid of. Is there, Melanie?"
Melanie felt her heart drop hearing her name. Dr Brenner turned to her, "Why don't you take a seat?" With a dark voice he spoke.
Melanie her eyes went wide as she started running towards the door. She ran out and came into a hallway of the lab, filled with dead guards and blood smeared over the wall. She ran backwards trying to find a way out.
Meanwhile Steve was infront of her still trying to wake her, "Melanie, just stay with me. Stay with me, okay? Whatever you guys are doing, hurry up!"
Erica runs towards Eddie's bedroom where everyone is stressing, "Steve says you need to hurry!"
Dustin yells towards her, "Yeah? No shit!"
Nancy yells back, "We're trying."
Max agrees, "We can't find anything."
Robin is on the bed stressed looking through tapes, "What is all this shit?"
Eddie yelled back as he came back towards her with more music, "What are you even looking for?"
"Madonna, Blondie, Bowie, Beatles? Music! We need music!"
"This is music!"
Melanie was panting as she kept running. Her entire body was hurting since her pregnancy was getting closer and closer to the end. She stopped when she made it to a door but it was covered with wooden planks. She started to get them off when she heard footssteps.
"Melanie." Melanie stopped in fear and turned seeing Vecna walking towards her slowly her eyes went wide, "What are you doing? It's not time for you to leave."
Melanie gasped in fear and turned around to continue getting the planks off. Vecna kept getting closer and closer while she was almost out, "Now that you've seen where I've been... I would like very much to show you where I am going."
The planks clatter to the ground as she gets the last one off. She runs through the door immediately, but she's back where she started. In a room with Dr Brenner,
"Take a seat, Melanie."
The lights suddenly went out and when they were on again Melanie was on a chair, tied onto it with the vines of the upside down. Vecna came stalking towards her.
"I know your weakest spot, Melanie." He spoke as he came closer to her face, "I am gonna turn it back on. That's all I need to win."
"No, please." Melanie tried as she squirmed in her seat trying to get out. She didn't want her emotions back. She wasn't ready. But before she knew it Vecna put his hand near her face. Her head got lifted up as she saw memories flash by. Bad memories but also good ones, all her emotions were coming back.
Vecna smiled creeply when he realized what he had done. Melanie her humanity was back and now all he needed to do was execute his plan. Melanie had tears going down her cheeks which she didn't notice, every emotion was back including fear.
"I... want you to tell Eleven. I want you to tell her everything you see."
Vecna showed her flashes of a gate opening in the Creel house and it slowly spreading in town. "No!"
He showed her flashes of everyone who would die. Max, Steve, Eddie, Nancy, Robin and so many more.
"No!"
"Tell her..."
"No!"
Last he showed her flashes of the fall of Hawkins. Everyone was leaving and the entire town had been split. "..everything."
"No!"
Melanie gasped opening her eyes. Back in the real world. She fell down but Steve caught her instantly, "Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa."
Melanie was panting in fear. Steve saw the look in her eyes and he knew it was her. Melanie with her humanity was back,
"It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. I'm here."
Melanie gasped in fear as she came
down from the flashes of everything going wrong. She looked Steve in the eye with a look that he just knew that whatever she saw wasn't good, "I'm right here."
Steve let out a breath in relief when he noticed that Melanie's wound on her neck was now finally healing as they went back in the real world.
——
Everyone was in Eddie's trailer. Erica, Eddie and Steve were on the couch. Robin was sitting on the floor with Dustin standing next to her and Lucas and Max across the room also standing. Melanie was sat on a chair infront of the couch explaining what she had seen. Everyone was also aware of her humanity back, maybe it wasn't the best moment for her to have emotions again but they were glad she was back and okay.
"He showed me things that haven't happened yet. The most awful things. I saw a dark cloud spreading over Hawkins. Downtown on fire. Dead soldiers. And this... giant creature with... a gaping mouth. And this creature wasn't alone. There were so many monsters. An army. And they were coming into Hawkins. Into our neighborhoods. Our homes. And then... he showed me Max. And Steve. Eddie. Dustin. And they... they were all..."
Steve noticed how Melanie was on the verge of breaking down, "Okay, but... he's just trying to scare you, Mel. Right? I mean... I mean, it's not real."
"Not yet. But there... there was something else. He showed me gates. Four gates. Spreading across Hawkins. And these gates, they looked like the one outside of Eddie's trailer, but... they didn't stop growing. And this wasn't the Upside Down Hawkins. This was our Hawkins. Our home."
Max sighed realizing, "Four chimes. Vecna's clock. It always chimes four times. Four exactly."
Melanie nods as she remembers what Vecna showed her, "I heard them too."
Max shakes her head, "He's been telling us his plan this whole time."
Lucas nods, "Four kills. Four gates. End of the world."
"If that's true..." Dustin says
"He's only one kill away." Nancy adds.
"Oh Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ." Eddie says panicking.
Steve turns to Max, "Try 'em again. Try 'em again."
Max tries calling the others again. After no response she puts the phone down. Dustin sighs, "Anything?"
"No. Rang a few times, then went to busy signal."
Steve shakes his head, "Maybe you punched it wrong. Try again."
"I didn't punch it in wrong."
"Well, I don't know."
Dustin gives Steve a look, "I think she knows how to use a phone."
"I'm just saying."
Melanie nods agreeing, "She could've typed it in wrong."
Max tries again, "Same shit."
Lucas sighs, "How is that possible?"
Dustin turns to Lucas, "I told you Joyce has this telemarketer job. Always on the phone. Mike won't stop whining about it."
Max sighs annoyed, "Yeah, but this phone's been busy for, what, three days now? That's not Joyce. No way. Something's wrong."
Nancy nods, "She's right. It can't be just coincidence. It can't be. Whatever's happening in Lenora is connected to all of this. I'm sure of it. But Vecna can't hurt them. Not if he's dead."
Melanie stands up as she gets what Nancy is hinting at, "We have to go back in there. Back to the Upside Down."
Steve groans, "Whoa, no, no, no. What?"
Eddie gives Melanie a look not wanting the stress of losing his bestfriend again, "Nope."
Steve stands up walking towards Melanie, "Let's think this through."
"What is there to think through?"
"We barely made it out of there in one piece."
"Yeah, because we weren't prepared. But this time, we will be. We'll get weapons and protection. We'll go through the gate, we'll find his lair, and we'll kill him."
"Or he'll kill us. The only reason you survived is because he wanted you to. He's not scared of us."
Robi stands up agreeing with Steve,
"And for good reason. We were wrong about Vecna. Henry. One. Sorry, what are we calling him now?"
Dustin and Lucas agree on One. While Erica says Vecna. Nancy and Melanie say Henry.
Robin sighs, "Right. We've learned something new about Vecna slash Henry slash One. He's a number like Eleven, only a sick, evil, male, child-murdering version of her with really bad skin. But my... my point is, he's super powerful. Could turn us inside out with a snap of his fingers. It's not a fair fight."
Dustin speaks, "Then why fight fair? You're right. He's like Eleven. But that gives us an upper hand. We know Eleven's strengths. And weaknesses."
"Weaknesses?" Erica says confused.
"When El remote-travels, she goes into this sort of trance-like state. I bet the same is true of Vecna."
Lucas nods, "That would explain what he was doing in that attic."
"Exactly. When he attacks his next victim, I'll bet you he's back in that attic, physical body defenseless."
Steve sighs, "Defenseless? What about the army of bats?"
"True. We'll have to find a way past them. Distract them somehow."
Eddie looks at him confused, "And, uh, how do we do that, exactly?"
"No idea. But once they're gone, he doesn't stand a chance. It'll be like slaying sleeping Dracula in his coffin."
Robin sighs, "That all sounds good in theory, but there is no pattern to Vecna's killings. Not one that I can decipher. We don't know when he's going to attack next. Don't even know who he's going to attack."
Melanie sighs, "Yeah, we do. I can still feel him. I'm still marked. Cursed. I ditch Taylor Swift, I draw his focus back to me."
Steve turns to Melanie, "Over my dead body. Melanie, you can't. He'll kill you."
"I survived before. I can survive again. I just need to keep him busy long enough so that you guys can get into that attic. Then you can chop his head off. Stab him in the heart. Blow him up with some explosive Dustin cooks up. I honestly don't care how you put this asshоlе in his grave. Just... whatever it is... whatever you do... try not to miss."
Max walks towards her, "Absolutely no way, i'm also cursed remember? I'm doing it!"
"Max, no. I'll do it end of discussion."
Max gives her sister a look, "You can either let me do it or i will do it in secret. Your choice."
Melanie gives her a look, "Fine. But don't you dare die on me, Max."
Max gave her sister a smile and hugged her, "I won't."
After making a plan Eddie showed them a folder, "Check this out. The War Zone. I've been there once. It's huge. They got everything you need for, uh... well, killing things, basically."
Robin snorts, "You think fake Rambo has enough guns there? Is that a grenade? I mean, how is any of this legal?"
Eddie smiles, "Well, lucky for us it is, so... This... This place is just far enough outside of Hawkins. As long as we steer clear of main roads, we oughta be able to avoid cops and, uh, angry hicks."
"If we're trying to avoid angry hicks, maybe we shouldn't go to some store called the War Zone." Erica says.
Nancy sighs, "Normally, I'd agree, but we need the weapons. So I think it's worth the risk."
Melanie nods, "Me too."
Dustin groans, "But is it worth the time? It'll take all day to bike there and back."
Eddie turned to him, "Who said anything about bikes?"
"You got some car we don't know about?"
"It's not exactly a car, Steve. And it's not exactly mine, but, uh... it'll do. Hey, Red, uh, you got a ski mask or a bandanna, something like that?"
Max nodded as she was thinking, she got something in her head and gave them an amused smile. A few minutes later the group was out of the trailer following Eddie.
Eddie opened the window in the back of the van. He climbed in and took the mask off immediately, "That was suffocating."
Behind Eddie Steve went in first to help the others in, "Go! Come on." Once everyone was in and seated Eddie started hot wiring the car which he had locked.
Steve went to the front to talk to Eddie about the plan, "Where'd you learn how to do this?"
"Well, when the other dads were teaching their kids how to fish or play ball, my old man was teaching me how to hot-wire. Now, I swore to myself I wouldn't wind up like he did, but now I'm wanted for murder, and soon, grand theft auto. So, uh, I'm really living up to that Munson name."
Melanie came infront with Robin, "Eddie, I'm not sure I love the idea of you driving."
Melanie agrees, "Yeah me too. You
aren't very cautious behind a wheel."
Eddie smiled, "Oh, I'm just starting this sucker. Harrington's got her. Don't ya, big boy?"
Melanie, Robin and Steve gave him a look at the nickname. Before they could say anything the engine started.
"What the hell? Hey!"
"Open this door! Hey!"
"They locked the door!"
Eddie gave him a smile and moved. Steve sat down in the driver seat when Robin quickly ran to the back with Eddie to find a seat. Melanie quickly hopped into the passenger seat. Steve mumbled to himself, "It's just a car."
Steve turned to the back and yelled, "Everybody, hang on to something!"
"Oh my God!"
"Let's go!"
"Let's go!"
Dustin started yelling, "Drive, Steve! Drive!"
"Go, go, go!"
Steve hit the gas and drove away right through the trailer park. Hitting multiple objects.
"Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!"
"Shit, they look pissed."
Melanie yells back to Dustin while holding on tightly on her seat, "It's not every day you lose your house and car in one fell swoop."
"Hold on! Hold on!" Steve yelled as he hit some trashcans, "Okay."
After a while of driving the group was calmed down. Everyone in the back was calming down while Steve and Melanie were talking, they're first normal conversation since they heard she was pregnant and turned it off.
"How's it handle?"
"Not half bad. Considering that this is a... house."
Melanie laughs nodding. Suddenly Steve starts a story, "Yeah, it's... it's silly, but I... I've actually... I always had this dream that I'd have this really... really big family. I'm talking, like, uh, a full brood of Harringtons. Like, five, six kids."
Melanie her eyes went wide, "Six?"
"Yeah. Six little nuggets. Three girls, three boys. And... and every summer, I figured all of us Harringtons, we would pack into something like this and... just see the country. You know, the Rockies, Grand Canyon, maybe Yellowstone. End up in some beachside town in California. Spend a week parked in the sand. Learn how to surf or something."
"That sounds nice."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. Well, uh, except for the six-kid part. That sounds like a total nightmare. You better hope there's only one Harrington in here, Steve. I refuse to have six."
Steve laughs nodding, "If only we had some practice." He says aiming at the kids in the back.
"All right. Fair. That's fair."
"You know we never did talk about our situation.."
Melanie sighs, "I know. I just.. how about we deal with Vecna first? Then we can talk about us."
"Us?" Steve said giving her a smile.
Melanie scoffed smiling, "Don't get ahead of yourself Harrington."
Steve smiled looking at her, "Alright. I won't."
Steve clears his throat, "So I've been thinking, two of the three of Vecna's victims were seeing Ms. Kelley, right?"
"Yeah."
"Okay. So I figure there's a good chance Vecna cursed another one of her students. We go back to her office. We read all of her files. Look for mentions of headaches, nosebleeds, nightmares. We identify his most likely next victim"
"Steve."
"We stake out his house..."
"Steve, stop. We don't have time for any of that, okay? And even if we did, even if your plan did work, we'd be putting a total stranger at risk. A stranger who has no idea what they're up against. Max and I do. He uses my memories against me. But... only my darkest memories. Same with Chrissy and Fred, right?"
Steve sighs knowing that if Melanie was doing it he would risk losing her. But now that Max volunteered to be the bait Melanie risked losing Max. Steve knew that if Melanie lost more people chances of her maybe shutting it off again could be high. And he couldn't lose Melanie again, "Right."
"It's like he only sees the darkness in us. So, I'll just run in the opposite direction if he tries to get me again. Run to the light. And maybe he won't be able to find me there."
"Now, how exactly do you plan on doing this?"
"I'm not sure. But it's my mind. Not his, right? So I should be able to control where I am. I just need to... push him away. Find a happy memory and hide there. Hide in the light."
"You got a memory in mind?"
"Yeah. It was a time when I was the happiest."
Steve smiles, "Was I there?"
Melanie turns to him giving him a look, "That's bold of you to assume." Steve laughs, "But yeah. You might've been there."
After a long drive the group finally makes it to warzone. They walk in and Robin sighs, "So much for avoiding angry hicks."
Melanie agrees, "Let's be... fast."
"Yep."
"Definitely."
Max goes her seperate way just like Erica and Nancy. While Robin, Steve and Melanie stay together. "How many of these do you think we need?" Robin asks Melanie.
Melanie who's blowing a bubble
gum is about to respond but Steve comes around the corner with a new jacket, "Five or six."
Suddenly Robin goes quiet. Steve and Melanie follow her eyes seeing her stare at Vickie. Melanie smiles while Steve goes to annoy her, "What are you gonna do? Stand and gawk?"
"Shut up."
Robin is about to walk up to her but stops when a boy scares Vickie, "Ah! Jesus, you scared me."
The boy chuckles, "Whoa. You gonna mace me with that?"
"If it keeps you in line, yeah."
Melanie and Steve's smile fade as they see Robin her eyes go sad. Vickie and the boy kiss and Robin quickly walks away with a sad heart.
Steve sighs, "Robin. Robin!"
Outside in the car Eddie, Lucas and Dustin are waiting, "What the hell is taking so long?"
The door bursts open and Steve immediately gets in behind him the others, "What happened?" Lucas asks seeing the look on they're faces.
"Gotta go." Steve says.
"Your old friends are here." Erica says as she quickly gets seated.
"Shit!"
"Let's go! Let's go!"
"I'm going! I'm going! Sit down!"
——
The group has sat down in the woods to prepare themselves. Max watches as Nancy cuts a gun with a saw, "Is this legal?"
"Actually, I think it's a felony."
"Right."
"But it guarantees one thing. I won't miss."
Dustin and Eddie are playing around with they're selfmade defense weapons. Lucas and Erica are satdown on two chairs making speers. While Steve, Melanie and Robin are sitting near the car.
Steves sighs, "It just doesn't make sense."
"What doesn't make sense?" Melanie and Robin ask in sync.
"That was Dan Shelter. He graduated, like, two years ago."
Melanie looks at him confused, "So?"
"So he's in college. Which means he was visiting on spring break. Fast Times was returned, like, I don't know, a week ago? Right? Unless she's got some horndog brother we don't know about. Which is possible. Or she's just really into Judge Reinhold?"
Melanie rolls her eyes at Steve suddenly Nancy and Max call her name so she walks over to them.
"Steve."
"Nah. What?"
"I don't care. I don't understand why you do either with everything that's going on. Honestly, this feels like a perfect time for that little pull of the rug because... in the face of the world ending, the stakes of my love life feel spectacularly low."
Steve sighs looking at Melanie laughing with Max and Nancy, "Yeah. I mean, I get you there, but... I still have hope."
"Not everything has a happy ending."
"Yeah, yeah, believe me, I know."
Robin chuckles as she looks at who Steve is looking at, "I'm not talking about failed romance, one that is obviously not over by the way. It's just obvious by the way Melanie looks at you. I just... I have this terrible, gnawing feeling that... it might not work out for us this time."
"You think we shouldn't be doing this?"
"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?"
"Yeah. To killing Vecna."
"Slash Henry."
"Slash One."
——
Everyone is seated in the car again. Back on they're way to the Creel house and Eddie's trailer. On they're way to the upside down.
In the back was Robin, Eddie and Dustin. Infront of them were Lucas, Erica, Nancy and Max with her headphones on.
Melanie was in the passenger seat again. With Steve driving. Steve looked over at her seeing her fiddle with her fingers anxious. They come to a stop at the Creel house where Max, Erica and Lucas get out. After the three of them had gotten out they continue the drive to Eddie's trailer.
Steve looked over to Melanie who noticed. She looked back at him and smiled and it was then that Steve knew.
He barely knew Melanie. He barely knew the sound of her voice anymore or the comfort of her touch. But he knew he was in love with her. It was one of those things that words couldn't explain. Melanie had this spark with her that no other girl seemed to have. Something so beautiful that couldn't be ignored.
So Steve Harrington fell in love with Melanie Hargrove. He fell in love with the very best parts of her. He fell in love with the way she loved him the same way.