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"UH, I DON'T MEAN TO FREAK ANYONE OUT, BUT I SWEAR WE'VE SEEN THIS TREE BEFORE." ROBIN LET OUT, SEB STOPPING IN HIS TRACKS. He pointed his flashlight to the tree, Nancy and Steve doing the same. "That's impossible." The former spoke, Seb observing the whole woods they were in. Steve had given him a jacket just like his own and jeans from the same shop. He looked like a hill billy along with his had and their homemade armour, which consisted of a vest and a hat. "That would suck, right?" Robin asked shakily, Steve looking to Seb. The boy had hardly spoken since War Zone and Steve cared greatly for whether he was genuinely okay or not. "Imagine if Vecna destroyed the world because... we got lost in the woods?" Robin spoke, the girl way too nervous at the moment as Seb glanced to the back of her head. "We're not lost." He voiced, leading the way as Robin chuckled nervously. "Robin, hey. Watch out for the vines! Hive mind! Remember!"
"Thank you!" Robin called back to Nancy, rushing after Seb. "Uh, don't worry about her. She's just stressed." Steve spoke, walking with Nancy. "You know, scared." He added, the girl nodding. "Yeah. Yeah... I know." She spoke, gulping. "It's just..." "She's a super klutz?" Steve joked, Nancy chuckling. "She did tell me that it took longer for her to walk than most babies, so..." She added, Steve chuckling before stopping himself as he watched Robin speak to Seb. "I really shouldn't laugh. When I was a baby, I actually crawled backwards." He admitted, Nancy looking to him. "Crawled backwards?" She wanted to hear him right, Steve nodding. "You know, I'd push with my hands like this. Beep. Beep." Steve demonstrated, Nancy watching him do so. "Always in reverse, you know?" He asked as if anyone could relate, Nancy smiling. "Come on, it makes sense. You push to move, right?" He reasoned, Nancy scoffing. "No, no, it doesn't make sense." She spoke, Steve shrugging. "Well, it did to my tiny little Harrington brain." He spoke, tilting his head to himself.
"That is, until I reversed my baby butt down a flight of stairs and thumped my head really good." He spoke, Nancy looking to him quickly. "Yeah." He spoke to her look, Nancy humming. "Wow. That explains so much." She let out, Steve agreeing nervously. "Yeah. I think it kinda does." He chuckled, Nancy looking to him. "I think, like, right out of the gate, like, I'm super confident. But I'm also, like, an idiot." He summed, the two keeping their eyes on the floor for vines. "Which is just... I mean, it's a brutal combination. But, I mean, the good news is, I get a big enough thump on my head, I can change, you know?" He inquired, Nancy glancing to him. "I can learn. I can... crawl forward." Steve sighed at the silence, huffing. "Listen, I guess what I'm trying to say in a really stupid, roundabout way is, um..." He stopped the two, the two ahead not noticing. "is thank you." He admitted, Nancy laughing a little. "Thank me?" She asked, confused. "Yeah." Steve shrugged, Nancy's head tilting. "For...?" She inquired herself, Steve sniffling a little.
"For giving my head the biggest thump of it's life two years ago." Nancy's smile fell a little, Steve shrugging. "I needed it." He walked away, Nancy following. "It's changed my life. And now I'm crawling forward. Slowly." She stayed silent, Steve intending on filling the quietness. "I just wonder sometimes... you know if some other girl had given me a proper thump before we met, would things have been different?" He asked, Nancy side eyeing the boy. "Like, if we were meeting together for the first time right now, part of me... I dunno, part of me thinks we would've made it." Steve let himself admit, stopping them again. "Steve..." She let out, Steve sighing. "Remember the dream I told you about?" He asked, Nancy looking up to him. "About the Winnebago? Seeing the country with my six lil' nuggets?" He asked, Nancy smiling. "It's all true. Every last word. But I left one part out." Steve spoke, his voice lowering. "It's the most important part. You're there."
Nancy's smile fell once more. "You've always been there." She struggle to find words- "Hey, guys! Awesome news!" Robin interrupted, Seb by her side as the two flinched, looking at Robin. "Looks like we weren't going the wrong way." Seb mentioned, Robin hitting his shoulder. "Come on!" She urged, pulling Seb away towards the direction they came from. The two followed, the group finding themselves ahead of the Creel home. Bats flew around it, Seb feeling his breath catch within his throat. "Erica." Steve spoke, looking to the play set.
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"I HAVE A QUESTION." DMITRI SPOKE, PUTTING HIS CIGARETTE OUT IN THE SNOW BENEATH HIS BOOT. "What if I don't want to answer?" Yuri shot back, fixing Katinka. "Have you always been a coward?" Dmitri asked none-the-less, Yuri stopping as he dropped the tool to the snow. "Yuri Ismaylov is many things, you traitor. But he is..." The man stalked closer to Dmitri. "no coward." He declared, Dmitri humming. "If that is so, why do you continue to stall?" Dmitri shrugged, Yuri huffing. "What do I ow these Americans? Nothing!" He snapped, watching Dmitri's hot breath emit as steam. "This isn't just about America, smuggler. They have warned us of a great evil in the world." The man stepped forward, Yuri watching him. "An evil that does not rest, that does not respect borders. After it has consumed everything in their land, it will come for us. For our families. For our Motherland." He let out, Yuri silent. "You saw it with your own eyes. You know it to be true. And yet you continue to play tricks!"
Yuri felt Dmitri shove past him, turning back to meet him. "I was told the Peanut Butter Smuggler was once a great man. Before he lost his way to drink and cards. That he led his men to victory over the Chinese in Damansky. Is it true?" He asked, Yuri staring at him. "It is true." He answered simply, Dmitri shrugging. "That hero, where is he now? Because I do not see him." Yuri watched Dmitri walk away,
getting the simple tool out of his jacket.
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"OKAY, THE LOVEBIRDS HAVE COPIED. MAX IS MOVING INTO PHASE TWO. DISTRACTING VECNA." ERICA'S VOICE FAINTLY SPOKE, NANCY WATCHING SEB'S BACK AS HE STARED UP AT THE HOUSE. "This is easy." Robin shrugged, Steve huffing. "Yeah, we're not even at the hard part yet." He spoke, Nancy slowly moving towards Seb. "Are you okay?" She asked, Seb nodding slowly. "Just... impatient." He never took his eyes off of the house as Nancy gulped. "I'm sorry for putting you up as an idea." She spoke, the reasoning behind their whole situation being her. "I'm used to it." Seb hummed, Nancy biting her lip in embarrassment. "I was just angry and wanted to get rid of him-" "It's fine." Nancy looked to meet eyes with Seb. It wasn't fine. It was far from it. "I want to get rid of him too." Seb spoke softly, Steve looking between the two of them. "It's just, it made it sound like I was using you. Which I was, but- not in that way." Nancy tried to justify herself, watching Seb look back at the house.
"I would do the same. It's okay." He reassured, his breathing slightly ragged. He wouldn't do that. No way. "Are you sure?" Nancy asked, Seb hesitantly nodding. "I'm sure." He spoke simply, lying through his teeth as Nancy nodded slowly herself. "Okay..." She awkwardly hit his shoulder, the two looking ahead to the house.
We need you.
☆
EL LAID DOWN FULLY IN THE FREEZER TUB WITH THE HELP OF MIKE, EVERYONE SURROUNDING HER. Argyle was simply amazed. In his defense, it's not everyday your best friend's little sister and can travel through people's minds. The electric in the kitchen buzzed, lights flashing around the group. "Wild." Argyle spoke entranced, El letting her eyes close. "I found them." El spoke after a mere few minutes, watching Max and Lucas walk past her. "They're carrying a light. A blue light." She explained, everyone silently listening as El rounded the two. Max held the light in front of two crates, seemingly waiting. The light faded, Max staring at it as if that was not meant to happen. "What are you waiting for, asshole?" The girl's voce echoed, El staring silently. "Hmm? I'm right here. I'm right here!" Max yelled, El staring at her. "Okay, what's going on, El?" She heard Mike inquire, the girl shaking her head. "It's not working." She spoke simply, Will confused.
"What? What's not working?" He asked, El keeping her eyes closed. "Max's plan." She informed, Max still calling out to Vecna. "I know you can hear me. I know you can read my thoughts. Even the worst ones." Tears stung her eyes, Max staring at the lamp as Lucas did the same. "Maybe mostly the worst ones." Placing the lamp down, Lucas and El watched Max place her Walkman down on the table. Her only way of escaping Vecna. Sitting in front of the lamp, the girl controlled her breathing as she waited, Lucas stood behind her. "I thought about what you said. And how I wanted my brother to die. I thought you were just trying to upset me." Lucas glanced to her briefly, the girl continuing none-the-less. "To anger me. But you weren't, were you? You were just telling the truth." Lucas' brows furrowed, Max sighing. "Billy, he made my life a living hell. Every chance he got. So, sometimes... when I would lie in bed at night, I would... I would pray..." The girl sniffed, struggling to speak. "I would pray that something would happen to him. Something awful." She admitted, glancing at the ground.
"I knew that he drove too fast, so I would imagine him crashing. Dying in that stupid car. I just..." She kept her eyes on the lamp, gulping. "I wanted him out of my life. Forever. I wanted him to disappear." El simply watched, silent to Mike and the rest as Max's voice echoed. "The day that he died... I think that's why I just stood there. Watched. Not because I was scared or... weak. But because... I didn't know if he deserved to be saved." She admitted, El feeling tears sting her eyes as she watched her best friend. "And I've tried to forgive myself. I've tried, but... I can't. I can't." Max spoke, her hand wiping the newfound tears on her cheeks. "So now... now, when I lie in bed at night... I pray that something will happen to me. That something terrible will happen to me. So that's why I'm here." The girl sighed, nervously sniffling. "Because... I just want you to take me away. And I want you... to make me disappear." El's lip quivered, watching Max as did Lucas. "Is that all true?" The boy inquired, Max looking to the boy.
He didn't look at her, except he looked ahead, the expression on his voice being one of horror. "You wanted Billy to die." He spoke, Max staring at him. "Why are you talking?" She asked, part of the plan being Lucas not making himself known as he wasn't supposed to talk. "You ever have thoughts like that about me?" Lucas faced her, Max standing up quickly. "What? No, Lucas, never." She spoke, Lucas' expression not changing. "Normal people don't fantasize about killing other people, Max." He spoke out quietly, the girl's jaw clenching. "You realize that, right?" He reminded, Max gulping. "Lucas, please." She spoke, Lucas stepping forward. "I thought you were getting better. But you're not, are you?" He asked, stepping closer. "You are sick." His tone heightened. "Lucas, you don't mean that." Max spoke up, persuading herself more than him. "Maybe it is good he takes you." The boy continued, Max stepping back as she shook her head. "Maybe it's for the best. In fact..." Max flinched, Lucas crying heavily. "I'm glad it's going to be you." Max's shoulders fell lightly once Lucas' voice distorted.
"You will be the chosen one. The fourth. The final sacrifice." He spoke, Vecna's voice drawling through Lucas' tone. "It's going to be you that breaks the world." Lucas' eyes vanished, being replaced with Vecna's as Max's widened. "Seven and you will help me break everyone." Max's head tilted, watching him simply. "Max? Can you hear me?" Lucas spoke, crouching in front of her. Her eyes rolled back, Lucas' widening. "Max!" He yelled, waving a hand ahead of her face. El's head tilted, inhaling sharply. "He has her." She spoke simply to the group, everyone glancing to one another. "Max." Vecna drawled through Lucas, the girl backing away. "Where are you going? Don't be scared." He shrugged, Max glancing behind her. "Stay away from me." She began to beg, Vecna not listening as he stepped closer. "Max, I thought you said you were ready. Ready to disappear!" Lucas yelled, Max grabbing a stray pole. "I said stay away!" She yelled, hitting Lucas across the face with it and running past him,
Vecna watching her leave the basement.
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[2235 words!]
Hope you enjoyed!!!
Byeee!