_________
c h a p t e r f i f t y - n i n e
After a bit of aimless driving, Steve finds an empty field on the outskirts of Hawkins, just far enough away for them to carry out their plan in peace.
Everyone then gets to work on their weapons as Nancy sets up several bottles for target practice.
"Okay, stand here," she points next to herself, across from the bottles.
"Standing," Sam gets into place, nervously eyeing the targets.
"Don't be nervous. It's easier than it looks," Nancy assures, handing her the gun. "Point and shoot."
Sam then takes a deep breath, shakily pointing the gun up towards the bottles, before Nancy stops her.
"It helps to think about something that makes you angry. Just pretend you're shooting it down," she advises.
Sam then closes one eye, aiming the gun and shooting the bottle right in the middle, cracking it into tiny pieces.
"Holy shit," Sam breaks out into a grin, cheering to herself as Nancy does the same.
"It's like we're in the Twilight Zone," Dawn chuckles from her spot next to Eddie and Dustin.
"Tell me about it," the Munson boy agrees.
"Okay, try again," Nancy guides her to the next target.
With slightly less hesitation, Sam hits it on the first try, doing the same for the rest.
"I think you're all set," Nancy smiles.
"Yeah," Sam glances at the broken glass before turning back to the brunette. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Nancy shares a warm smile with her. "Seems like you're a natural."
"Might be the six years of archery. Kind of makes aiming easier."
"You can use a bow and arrow?"
"You can shoot a shotgun," Sam retorts with a laugh.
"Touche," Nancy chuckles before sighing. "This might be crazy, but in all that time we wasted hating each other, we probably could've been great friends."
"Can't believe I'm agreeing, but yeah," Sam nods. "Yeah, we would've."
A silence passes over them, not awkward or full of animosity like usual, but contemplative instead.
Sam breaks it, throwing Nancy a bone. "Lucky for you, I don't hold grudges. Truce?"
"Truce," Nancy shakes her hand, before walking back towards Max and preparing the shotgun for battle.
"Flores," Eddie approaches her, earning a look of concern.
"Munson?" she furrows her eyebrows.
"I would like to formally apologize, milady."
"Enough with the queen jokes," she holds a hand up. "What are you apologizing for?"
"I have spent many years despising you and Harrington. I thought you were the antichrist."
"If it helps, most people did. It's really easy to get caught up in that whole social hierarchy bullshit," she waves a hand. "You forget that people are more than what they look like."
"Definitely."
"And to be fair, I literally thought you were the antichrist, so I think we're even."
"What could've ever made you think that?" he dramatically gasps. "I'm the picture of innocence."
"Whatever, Munson," she chuckles. "One last thing: Hurt Dawn and I will show you just how mean I can get."
"Got it," he salutes. "I'm gonna get back to the shields."
"Good idea."
______
An hour later, the group is almost done with the weapons, while Sam and Dawn sit in the grass and watch everyone.
"It's weird, you know," Dawn speaks up. "You look at us and you see a bunch of kids, but dig a little deeper and you see just how fucked up we really are."
"Yep. Guess that's what happens when you have to save the world," Sam shakes her head. "Hey, if... If something happens, there's a box under my bed. It's pink."
"Sam, you're gonna be fine."
"If I'm not, I wrote something for you guys. It's in there. Promise you'll read it."
"... Promise," she reluctantly agrees, before pointing to Dustin, who was play fighting with Eddie. "I'm worried about him."
"Yeah, I don't love him being in the Upside Down," Sam narrows her eyes. "But Eddie isn't gonna let anything happen to him."
"I know. It's just... I'm not sentimental, or affectionate, or nice, really. And I'm okay with that. But now that he might get hurt, I'm starting to wish I hugged him more. That I hadn't left."
"He knows you love him," she smiles, patting her back. "And he's gonna be just fine. He's not stupid, he'll only be out there for a few minutes."
"I know. I just... I have a bad feeling about tonight."
Sam didn't want to admit it, but so did she. Something just felt... off.
_____
Over in the desert, Jonathan puts his foot on the gas to follow the direction of the tire tracks.
Eventually, they spot what looked to be tiny dots on the ground, which Bianca realizes are people.
"Over there, Jonathan!" Bianca points.
"Where?"
"Shit, they found her," Mike points to the helicopter.
Bianca then presses on the horn, startling Jonathan. "Hands away from the wheel!"
"I'm sorry, we had to do something!" she shouts.
"There she is!" Mike points.
"Where?" Jonathan looks around.
"On the ground. On the ground!"
"What are those tiny dudes doing on the ground? Is that blood, man?"
"Jonathan, go!" Bianca urges, making him sharply turn the wheel, getting closer to where El is.
They watch as she stands, unbeknownst to the military officers in the helicopter, and begins to use her powers to bring the aircraft to the ground.
The group's eyes widen as they witness the crash, the fallout making it that much harder for Jonathan to drive towards El.
"Shit, shit, shit!" he shouts, trying to avoid the falling debris as they finally get close enough to get out of the car.
El doesn't even notice at first, eyes still trained on the enflamed truck as Bianca runs over to her, engulfing her in a hug.
"El!" she cheers.
"You guys looked for me?"
"Of course we did," she smiles, giving her a second hug. "Are you okay? Say the word and we'll kick some government ass."
"Yeah, I'm okay," she nods, chuckling.
She then pulls Mike and Will in for hugs, still in shock that they were here right now.
"Hey," Jonathan speaks up. "We gotta get you out of here."
Just then, her collar unclasps, garnering everyone's attention. El turns to Brenner, lying on the floor with a remote in his hand.
Bianca glares at the man, unsurprised that he was behind the mess that sent her here.
It didn't even make sense that he was alive, considering the encounter with the Demogorgon 3 years ago, but somehow evil always prevails.
She didn't think that was fair. Not when Bob was nothing but kind and still ended up dead. Or even Nancy's friend Barb. Or half the population of Hawkins that ended up being flayed.
But she could accept a little bit of comeuppance as she watches Brenner take his last breath, no longer able to treat other children as his lab rats.
"Let's get out of here," she waves El back over, loading everyone back into the van.
"Hawkins, we need to get to Hawkins," El frantically remarks.
"I know, but first we need to get you somewhere safe. There's gonna be people behind us," Mike responds, slightly startled by just how frantic she was.
"No, Mike, we need to get to Hawkins tonight."
"We'll never make it," Jonathan interjects. "That's over 2000 miles."
"We need to find a way! If we don't, they're going to die."
"They're going to what?" Bianca shrieks.
"Who's going to die? El, who's gonna die?"
She then looks over at Bianca and Mike, eyes watering. "Everyone."
_____
Now fully prepared, well, as prepared as one could be to fight an interdimensional mind wizard, the Hawkins gang silently drives back to Creel House to enact their plan.
Sam wraps her jacket tightly around herself as the song continues to play in her head, feeling more and more ominous the closer they get to the abandoned home.
Steve stops the RV right out front, letting out a sigh as Sam begins to get out.
Max, Lucas, Erica, and Dawn join her, walking up the driveway as Steve pulls her aside.
"You remember the plan, right?" he grabs her shoulders softly, scared eyes meeting hers.
"Yes, Steve," she smiles. "It's gonna be fine. We never lose."
"I don't like you being bait."
"Someone has to. I don't like you being on the front lines."
"Someone has to."
"It's always us," she chuckles. "Please be careful."
"You too," he squeezes her hand. "Because, um... I chickened out of this before, but that dream? With the Winnebago and the six nuggets... It doesn't exist without you."
"Steve..."
"I mean it. I'm... I'm in love with you, Sam," he caresses her cheek, wiping the stray tear from her eye. "Think I always have been."
"Good, 'cause I'm in love with you, too," she grins, kissing him softly. "And I definitely always have been."
"Good," he smiles into it, reluctantly pulling away. "Alright, we better go."
"Yeah," she steps back, hand clinging onto his until she absolutely couldn't anymore. Sensing the hesitation he still held, she assures, "It's gonna be okay."
"I know," he nods, trying to convince himself.
Dawn walks over to Dustin and Eddie one last time, a sad smile on her face. "You two make it back for me okay?"
"You got it," Dustin hugs her.
"Don't be stupid, D," she clings onto him. "Leave the hero work to Harrington, he lives for it."
"I know. We'll be in and out," he assures, letting go.
"And you, Munson," she narrows her eyes. "You die, and I'll bring you back to life just to kill you again."
"You always say the sweetest things," he jokes. "Don't worry about me. I have a date to make, I can't die."
"A date?" she tilts her head in confusion.
"Saturday night. Preferably somewhere hidden considering I'm a fugitive."
"Sounds like a plan," she smiles, walking back towards the house.
"Let's go," Sam walks back over to the group as well, leading them inside as the weight of her role begins to sink in.
All it takes is one wrong move, one phase of the plan going awry, and everything ends.
But they never lose, right?
______
a/n: ahh he finally said itttt :)
also big note on the future of this series in lieu of recent events with the cast:
i absolutely love this show, i literally grew up with the young cast as it came out, so I hold it very near to my heart. however, there's something to be said about the way the showrunners/netflix have handled noah and now brett gelman's claims and i have not decided whether I will be watching next season.
now, i am aware that they will be paid whether the show has 5 viewers or 5 billion but i don't know if I want to write an entire book about a noah-centric season. like all love to will byers, hate that his actor is disgusting, but i can't in good faith have 20+ chapters about a season all about Noah's character.
instead I will most likely be writing my own version of season 5 pretty soon after I finish this season. I understand if you guys do not want to read that and trust me I am well aware that I do not have the writing ability held by the Duffers, but I think it's the best option.
ty readers, and stay tuned for more announcements!!
xo, author