"Hey, Richie.."Stan turned around to talk with the boy but his eyes winded when he saw that there was no one behind him. "Shit. Bill", he shouted gaining the attention of the boy that was slightly ahead of him. "Richie's not with us anymore"
"What?"Bill looked around. He was right. They were the only ones on there. He pulled out the walkie-talkie. "Steve. Eddie. Richie i-is n-not wi-with us anymore"
"What?"He heard Steve shout followed by Eddie. "How did you lose him, you morons?"
"H-he must have s-seen s-something and s-stopped and w-we didn't notice"
"Great. Go out. We will look after him"Eddie said.
"No way, "Stan said hovering beside Bill. "We are not going to leave without Richie"
"You brats better do what I said. Or you would regret it."Steve said threateningly and Bill closed the station.
"We a-re n-not leaving without h-him", he said determined and Stan nodded. They just got Richie back after a long while. They won't lose him again.
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"Fuch. Shit. These stupid kids" Steve said pulling at his hair. Not only was one of his kids missing. But that brats from Derry turned off the station and probably went after him, instead of leaving as he had told them.
"Stevie. Hey darling. Calm down. Take a deep breath", Eddie said softly rubbing his arms up and down.
"How can I be so calm in a situation like this?"
"I'm sorry that is nothing. Maybe Wheeler remained behind because he walked into a room. And in a matter of minutes, they would contact us and tell us that they had found him."
"And if that's not the truth?"
Eddie sighed and squeezed Steve's arms reassuringly. He knows very well how much Steve cares about these kids and he would be destroyed if something happened to one of them. "We will find him. He would be alright. I promise, sweetheart"
"I have to let Nance know. He's her cousin... She needs to know" Even if he doesn't want to. It made him feel like he was telling her that they lost him for good. Eddie nodded and Steve raised his station. "Nance. Can you hear me?"
It took a few seconds for her to answer. "Yes, Steve. Did you find something?"
"N-no. But Bill and Stan contacted me" He hesitate a little. "They told me that they lost Richie"
"What?"Nancy shouted and he could clearly hear the worry in her voice. "What do you mean lost him?"
"They said that he was with them one moment and the next when they turned around he was not there anymore"
"I'm coming in"
"Nancy. No. You need to stay there and cover your position."
"I don't fucking care about it. There's nothing here anyway. Jonathan, Argyle, and Robin are more than capable of handling it by themselves. I'm going in and search for my little brother", she said fiercely. Little brother. Not cousin. When Steve was dating Nancy back in high school and he had met Mike for the first time, he wouldn't have imagined that the boy was her cousin and that he had been there only for a few months. Until he had found the truth about Mike or Richie, he had thought that he was Nancy's little brother. That close they are.
"Nancy. You can't leave. I promise that we will find him. I swear"
"Find him. Or I swear to God, I will end you, Harrington. This was your plan and you let Mike get in that wretched house. So you better find him and he better be alright for your own good", she said darkly and Steve believed that she would kill him if Mike would e badly hurt. Or worse. No. He doesn't want to think about that possibility.
"I will. I promise", he said before he closed his station. He looked at Eddie with determination in his eyes. "Let's go"
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"I'm not afraid of you "
"Then why are you shaking?" The Clown was right. He was shaking. He was trapped again. And this time the clown was blocking his exit. IT started to slowly approach with a smile full of teeths and Richie backed away. No. He can't be scared. That's what powers him. Fear. Richie clenched his hold on the gun and he looked at the clown in the eye with a glare, which made him stop. Faster than he expected to be he raised the gun and he shot IT in the head. The clown fell to the ground wth a thud and Richie jumped over him and he ran away from the room. IT opened his eyes and he jumped on his feet and he started to chase Richie, laughing.
As he continued to run through the hallways, Richie feels like it was endless, like it would never end. He knew that he shouldn't watch behind because there was a risk that he would hit something and then IT would catch him. But somehow he still found himself, watching behind to see if the clown was closer to him. Then he hit something. Or someone and they both down with a groan.
"Richie?" he recognized the voice as Stan. So he was the one who hit.
Richie immediately stood up and he hauled his friend up as well. "C'mon. we need to run. Now."
"Richie Wait" This time the voice belonged to Bill.
"We don't have time to wait. We need to run or else it would catch us"
"W-who will? T-There's no one" Richie blinked confused and he looked to see that there was no one beside him, Stan and Bill. He left. Of course, he did. The coward. Or maybe he was not a coward. He was playing with them. Like always. Richie took a deep breath and he collapsed on the ground. He could feel his whole body shaking. "Richie?"Bill asked softly as he kneeled down beside him. "Are y-you a-alright?" he asked and Richie nodded. At least he thinks that he's alright.
"Good," Stan said before he slapped him upside his head. "What the hell is wrong with you? We were supposed to stay together"
"Hey. I was supposed to be the angry one. You were the one who fucked off without bothering to check if I was still following, you fucker", he said angrily. First, he had been left behind by his friends, then cornered by IT, and now accused of not sticking with them. Give him a break.
"Where have you been anyway"
"I saw some movement in a room. I stopped to check-in. I'm so stupid. I should have known better", he said as he gripped his hair with his shaky hands.
"W-why? W-what h-happened?"Bill asked as he pulled Richie's hands from his hair, and squeezed them gently, comforting. "Did y-you see s-something"
"Yeah. Something that I wish I will never see again"
"What?"Both Bill and Stan asked.
"Not what. Who. He's back. The fucking clown is back", he said and his friends looked horrified.
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It took both Stan and Bill, some time to process the fact that It was back. Not even Richie hadn't processed that yet. He was too busy to not get killed by him. After a few minutes of silence, Stan contacted Steve and Eddie and let them know that they found Richie. Or more like Richie had found them. "Is he alright?"
"He's.."Stan looked at Richie who was still on the floor, Bill still holding his hands in an attempt to comfort him. He could see him shaking slightly. "Fine. Juats a little shaken". He could hear Steve sighing relieved.
"Alright. Get out. We will meet outside"
"Alright" Stan pulled the station away and he crouched in front of Richie. "Let's get out. Alright?" he asked softly and held a hand out. Richie let go of one of Bill's hands and he took Stan's hand, who pulled him up. The three boys walked away, with Stan and Bill on each side of Richie, both still holding his hands.
When they got out from the house, Nancy immediately rushed to him and she wrapped her arms around him. "I was so worried", she said as she tightened her hold on him and Richie sagged against her. "What happened? Are alright?" she asked and pulled away from the hug but kept her hands on his shoulders.
"I'm fine. And I will tell you when we will meet with the others"
"Is it bad?"
"Very"
They waited until Steve and Eddie had come out from the house as well before they started to make their way back to Steve's house. Nancy stayed pressed closer to him. He doubts that she would let him out of her sight anytime soon. On the other hand, Jonathan and Argyle had contacted the others to tell them that they would get back, and that they should go back as well. Bill and Stan looked as spooked and horrified as they did when he told them that IT is back. And Steve, Eddie, and Robin look confused. Steve and Eddie hadn't seen anything there and they tried to make Richie tell them what he had seen. But Richie always gave them the same answer. "I will tell you when the others would be present as well"
They were the first ones who got back, the others had shown up 15 minutes later. When they asked if they had something Richie opened his mouth and spoke the words that all the Losers feared. "He's back," he said looking directly at the Losers, to know about what he was talking about.
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When Will was put on the team with Mike and Eddie of all the people, he thought that it would be weird. Or awkward. Considering that Eddie has feelings for the boy that Will was dating. Maybe Will had read too much. Or watched too much Tv. Or he's too paranoid. But he was expecting for Eddie to glare at him the whole time they've been together. Or even saying that he was planning on taking Richie away from him. But he didn't none of it. He was actually very polite and friendly with Will. Maybe because his friend was there too. Who knows. "Well we certainly didn't find anything useful," Eddie said as they all three walked from the house. They managed to convince the parents of the first victim that they were friends with their son and got some information from them.
"From all the shit they told him about him, the only information that looks slightly important is that he has an aunt in Derry and that he likes to spend time in the forest where he had died, "Will said.
"I want to ask. Why do they let their kid play there when there's the danger that you told us about?"Mike asked.
"Because they don't know. Apart from our groups and a doctor, and maybe some soldiers, none in the Hawkins knew about the Upside Down or the creatures"
"And if one of them creates mass distraction"
"Cover-up exists, "Will said with a shrug. "Enough people had been involved already. We couldn't risk more innocent people getting involved and risk in getting hurt or worse"
"But you are all kids," Eddie said. "Except for your parents. Even Steve, Eddie, Robin, Jonathan, Argyle, and Nancy are too young to do this. "
"More than half of us have done this for almost 4 years. We got used to it. There's no one else besides us that can fight this battle. And you are the one who talks about being kids and fighting monsters when you fought a demon clown?"
"It had only happened once though."
Mike and Eddie remained quiet after that. Either they are processing everything that he had told them, or were convinced by the answer, he doesn't know. Hallway to Steve's house they were met with the others as well before they were contacted by Jonathan and Argyle who told them to go back. It still take them around 15 minutes before they arrived and when they did, the rest were there already. He made eye contact with Richie and he could see that he was a little shaken. Will wanted to go and comfort him but Eddie was faster than him. He sat down beside him and rubbed his arm up and down.
"Did you find something?"Bev asked and Richie looked only at the Losers when he answered.
"He's back"
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Immediately he said those words the Losers, except for Bill and Stan who already knew, exploded.
"What the hell? How is that possible?"
"He was dead. We killed him"
"There hadn't even been 27 years yet"
"We are not even in Derry. Are you sure that it was him?"
"Very sure... He tricked me in another room like he had done in the crack house"Eddie looked worriedly at him as he squeezed Richie's arm softly. No wonder he was so spooked when he had seen him. It doesn't matter how many times you would see him. You would always be spoked by him. On the other hand, Richie feels a little pathetic. It's not like it was the first time he had been cornered by him. And this time he had a gun as well. But he couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if he wouldn't have had the gun at him when the clown had pounced at him. The thought made him shiver and Eddie feel it because he started rubbing his arm again and Richie gave him a smile grateful for his comfort.
"So the clown that you fought in Derry is back and cornered you?"Argyle asked and Richie nodded. "Dude. You are lucky that you managed to escape", he said Nancy gave him a glare.
"What are we going to do?"Lucas asked. "Can you tell us more?"He adreesed the Loseres. If they knew more about the clown then they would be able to defeat him.
"I say you take me to the house and I can use my powers on him," El said.
"No," Richie said as he stood up. "You won't do anything", he pointed at the Hawkins gang. "We will do something", he said pointing to him and the Losers. Of course, the others were not happy.
"Mi... Richie. No. Just take me to him and I will use my powers"El protested.
"You won't use your fucking powers", he shouted making her flinch.
"Watch it, Wheeler," Hopper said warningly but he ignored him.
"Not everything is about you and your powers. You and everyone else would stay the hell out of this", he said glaring at the others. He doesn't even know if her powers would work on him. IT is not an Upside Down creature. He's a shape-shifter alien. Or a demon. Or something. But he's definitely not from Upside Down.
"Listen Wheeler. El has a point here. Maybe is not even It or whatever its name is. Maybe he's Vecna" Max said and Richie had thought of that possibility. But Vecna doesn't shift his form if he doesn't possess you. And Richie hadn't been possessed because he would have been dead. Or maybe he was a hallucination? Maybe it's really Vecna and he is his new target? I mean he already had nightmares and nose bleeds. But no. He hadn't seen any clock and IT was very much real there. Definitely not an illusion.
"He's not Vecna. So stay away from this"
"Richie is right," Eddie said. "This is our problem. We need to solve it. It doesn't affect you. So don't get involved. " he said and all the Losers nodded.
"Thank you for your help so far. But we will take care of this form here" Stan said and one by one the Losers stood up and walked out from the house. Richie was about to do it as well but he had been stopped by Will.
"Mike. Please. You need to let us help you", he said and Mike yanked his arm from Will's hold.
"No. Stay away from this. All of you. It doesn't concern you", he said glaring at everyone from the room, including Will and he tried to ignore the look in his eyes. Richie walked out from the house where the others were waiting for him in the car. There wasn't enough space from the beginning for all of them. So Richie found himself laying sideway in the backseat on Mike, Eddie, and Ben's laps.
"Richie. Why you didn't want for the others to get involved"Eddie asked.
"Because it doesn't concern them"
"But it's more than that. Right?"
"Yeah... Pennywise said that he's here because we are here. He's here because of us. I can't let them fight him and get hurt because of me" The only way that they would be able to get an advantage over him is to not be afraid again. It would be complicated for the others. if Penny changes his shape into an Upside Down creature. He can't do that to them.
"I'm glad that you are here with us Richie," Eddie said with a smile that had been reciprocated.
"Me too."