Chapter Text
March 26th, 1986
Seconds after Vecna kicked me out of Nancy's mind and I ended up back in the Upside Down. I fell back and Steve grabbed me as I stared up at the portal, in shock that I had been wrong this entire time. But it was slowly starting to make sense since I could never jump into minds before and only tried to do it after Max was forced into his little mind world. I willed myself to follow her and created the connection with Vecna, one that allowed me to latch on and piggyback onto someone. I had heard of Eleven doing it before in order to enter Billy's mind and see what was wrong with him but she needed a deprivation tank and a whole bunch of other stuff. My enhanced mind powers thanks to Dr. Coleman and his experiments allowed me to piggyback instantly. The tattoo was just telling me that I had Vecna wrapped around my finger and not the other way around.
"My god...it all makes sense," I muttered after staring at the portal for a solid minute.
I stood up and stepped away from Steve who was still staring at me in mild shock.
"Ren! Oh my god!" He exclaimed and grabbed my shoulders before pulling me into a very tight hug.
"I'm ok. Better than ok. My tattoo isn't a connection to Vecna, it's me being connected to him," I muttered and pointed at my left wrist. "This is how much control I have in his domain, I made myself follow Max and Nancy, not him. My powers are even more intense than I could possibly imagine."
"Can you get Nancy out?" Steve inquired and I glanced at her, thinking back to everything he told us.
"He doesn't want to kill her, he wants to scare her. Give her a second," I said and we watched as Nancy began to twitch but nothing more serious than that.
She eventually threw her head back and nearly collapsed, opening her eyes with a loud gasp. Steve and I ran forward and grabbed her before she could fall back as Nancy stared at us in concern.
"Nancy?" I asked and she glanced at me, a terrified look on her face.
"We're in danger...even more so than before."
We all locked eyes and I sighed, knowing that whatever she learned was big, real big. Even though my connection was better than I had originally thought there was still the fact that Vecna was at large and he wasn't stopping anytime soon. I had a sinking suspicion that he had finally revealed his master plan and it wasn't all that pretty.
March 27th, 1986
After Steve, Nancy and I had climbed out of the portal and a much needed night of rest, we all sat in Max's trailer since hers was a little less destroyed by the Upside Down. Her mom was luckily at work and didn't question the beat up teens all staring at Nancy with eyes the size of saucers. I was sitting on the couch with Steve and Eddie and her mind was a constant stream of concerns and worries that our fight was over before it had even began. I leaned forward and placed a hand on Nancy's, encouraging her to tell us what she saw.
"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...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 my mom. And Holly. Mike. And they...they were all..."
Nancy trailed off as her bottom lip twitched and Steve held up a hand, looking unconvinced.
"Ok, but...he's just trying to scare you, Nance. Right? I mean...I mean, it's not real," Steve declared and glanced at me but all I could do was shrug.
"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 inside of Eddie's trailer, but...they didn't stop growing. And this wasn't the Upside Down Hawkins. This was our Hawkins. Our home."
My eyes widened and I glanced at Max as hers did the same, remembering the exact number of chimes we heard when the clock appeared.
"Four chimes. Vecnas clock, it always chimes four times exactly," Max said and Nancy nodded.
"I heard them too."
Max sighed. "He's been telling us his plan this whole time."
"Four kills. Four gates. End of the world," Lucas surmised and we all shivered at the thought.
"If that's true...he's only one kill away," Dustin added and Eddie ran a hand down his face, looking freaked.
"Oh Jesus Christ...Jesus Christ."
"Try em again," Steve said and Max nodded before going over to her phone.
She dialled the Byers since we had been trying to contact them since we got out of the Upside Down and all morning. I stood and was about to follow, hoping to finally contact my sister when I paused, feeling her presence in the room. My powers started to come to life and I stared at the far corner of the room as if El was just gonna appear out of thin air.
"Ren?" Steve asked and I shrugged him off.
"Give me a second." I sat on the couch and closed my eyes, willing myself to be transported into El's mind space.
It didn't take that long before I opened my eyes to find nothing but blackness and a thin layer of water on the ground. I grinned and sure enough, there she was.
"El!" I called and she turned before running over and hugging me.
"Oh my god, El. How are you?" I inquired and checked her out to make sure she was okay.
"I'm good...I'm safe, I think."
"Where are you? The Byers phone line has been down for days," I said and El sighed.
"They're not there, Joyce is on a trip with Murray and something happened to Mike and Will and Jonathan," she said and I frowned, wondering why the hell her and Mike weren't with each other.
"Where are you?"
"I'm with Papa and Dr. Owens. They got my powers back but they want to use me, to keep me here," she said and my eyes widened...Papa was back.
"El...we need you, I need you. This Vecna creature is not gonna stop till he kills all of us."
"Vecna is like us," El said and I nodded.
"I know. He's number One. I thought he was connecting with me some way but he wasn't, I was leeching off of him. My powers evolved and now I can mind control, read them and jump into this mindspace you use."
"Max?" El asked and I smiled, happy that she was worried about her.
"She's OK, scared. Get back here El, get away from that man."
"I will, I love you. I have to go," she said and I nodded before wrapping her in another tight hug.
"I love you to."
I closed my eyes and was immediately shot out of the mind space and back on the couch. Steve stared at me in concern and placed a hand on my shoulder as I let out a sigh.
"Ren? Are you ok?" He asked and I nodded.
"I talked to El, she's OK. The others are going to get her and they're not in California. They'll be here as fast as they can. We don't need to worry about them, what we need to worry about is us," I declared and Dustin raised a brow.
"How do you know all that?"
"This whole time I thought that I had a connection to Vecna but in reality I was leeching off of his powers to gain more. The tattoo didn't mean that we were connected it meant that I could use his abilities as my own and in turn get mine back."
"Can you stop him?" Dustin asked and I shook my head.
"No. He figured out what I was doing and now he can protect himself from me and the next time we meet it'll be the last time we meet. Either I kill him or he kills me and there's no in between. He has the ability to take away my powers and he won't stop until he gets his wish," I said and thought back to what I saw in El's mind when we hugged, One killing all the others. "I'm nothing but a power source now and that puts me in much more danger than before. That's how he does it and he killed the other kids like El at the lab and he stole their powers. Now that he knows what I can do...he wants me and since he can't have me, hurting someone close to me is the next best thing."
I glanced at Max and she gulped, understanding the fact that she was still marked by him. I was part of the reason why she escaped the first time and I could feel that Vecna was desperate for his revenge.
"We won't let that happen, I promise," Steve assured and tightened his grip as I nodded, but I didn't really believe that we could end this without something terrible happening.
"This proves it, we have to go back in there. Back to the Upside Down," Nancy declared and Steve stared at her in shock.
"What? Did you hear Ren? Let's think this through."
"What is there to think through?" Nancy asked and Steve glared at her.
"We barely made it out of there and now Vecna wants to hurt us to get back at Ren," Steve reminded her and Nancy shook her head.
"We weren't prepared before and now Ren knows what he wants and can stop him."
"Are we sure about that?" I asked and she nodded.
"Yes, 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 before he even lays a hand on anyone."
"Or he'll kill us and then find a way to kill Ren," Steve deadpanned. "The only reason you survived is because he wanted you to. He's not scared of us."
"And for good reason. We were wrong about Vecna. Henry. One. Sorry, what are we calling him now?" Robin asked and we all glanced at each other.
"One," Dustin said.
"Vecna," Eddie countered and Erica rolled her eyes.
"One."
"Henry," Nancy piped up and I chuckled.
"Total dick," I muttered and Steve rolled his eyes.
"Right. We've learned something new about Henry/Vecna/One/Total Dick. He's a number like Eleven and Ren, only a sick, evil, male, child-murdering version of them with really bad skin," Robin said and we all raised a brow. "But my point is that he's super powerful. He could turn us inside out with a snap of his fingers. It's not a fair fight."
"Then why fight fair? You're right, he's like Eleven and Ren. But that gives us the upper hand. We know their strengths. And weaknesses."
"Hey," I said and glared at Dustin.
"Weaknesses?" Erica inquired, sounding shocked, and I smiled at her.
"Thank you."
"When El remote-travels, she goes into this sort of trance like state. I bet the same is true for Vecna," Dustin said and Lucas nodded.
"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 defenceless," Dustin pointed out and Steve scoffed.
"Defenceless? What about the army of bats?"
"True. We'll have to find a way past them. Distract them somehow," Dustin said and Eddie glanced at him.
"And...uh...how exactly do we do that?"
"No idea. But once they're gone, he doesn't stand a chance. It'll be like slaying sleeping Dracula in his coffin," Dustin pointed out and I nodded, liking this plan even more.
"And I'll be keeping him distracted with my own mind and I'm more powerful in the Upside Down. Whoever the next victim is, I can protect them," I added and Robin nodded slowly but she didn't look all that convinced.
"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. We don't even know who."
"Yeah, we do," Max piped up and we locked eyes. "I can still feel him. I'm still marked. Cursed. I ditch Kate Bush, I draw his focus back to me."
"Max. You can't. He'll kill you," Lucas said and I stood before heading over to her and placing a hand on her shoulder.
"I'll be there again, I'll destroy him inside Max's mind from the Upside Down. He'll be weaker in there and I'll be more powerful, it's a win-win," I offered even though a part of me knew that he could just kick me out like before.
"With Ren, I'll be fine. We survived once, we can do it again. We just need to keep him busy long enough so you guys can get into that attic."
"I kill the mind, you kill the body. Once his mind is gone I'll tell you and you guys can chop his head off," I said and Max nodded.
"Frankly, it doesn't matter what you guys do...just try not to miss."
I wrapped Max in a hug and smiled but it was forced since on the inside I knew that I couldn't do a thing. Distracting him would be what I was doing, not killing him and Vecna could just knock me out of Max's mind when he had enough. But I had to try and protect her, to keep her safe and guarantee that she never had any hope in hell of becoming victim number four. All I had to do was have faith and at the moment I was desperately trying to find some.
***
We spent the morning discussing the finer details of the plan and Eddie rummaged through Max's kitchen before stuffing a phone book on the table. We all gathered around as he flipped through the pages before coming to a stop on an ad for a store called the War Zone.
"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," Eddie informed and Robin eyed the very buff man holding up two Ak-47's in the ad.
"Do you think fake Rambo has enough guns there? Is that a grenade? I mean, how is any of this legal?"
"God bless America, that's how," I muttered and Eddie grinned at me.
"Lucky for us it is. This place is just far enough outside of Hawkins. As long as we steer clear of the main roads, we oughta be able to avoid the cops and angry hicks."
"If we're trying to avoid angry hicks, maybe we shouldn't go to some store called the War Zone," Erica piped up and Nancy nodded but I could tell that she knew and I knew that this place, really was our best option.
"Normally, I'd agree, but we need the weapons. So I think it's worth the risk."
"Me too," Lucas added and Dustin frowned, reading over the address which was quite a ways away.
"But is it worth the time? It'll take all day to bike there and back," Dustin pointed out and Eddie grinned.
"Who said anything about bikes?"
"You got some car we don't know about?" Steve asked and Eddie shrugged.
"It's not exactly a car, Steve. And it's not exactly mine, but uh...it'll do," he said and turned to Max. "Hey, Red, uh, you got a ski mask or a bandanna, something like that?"
***
Max did in face have a mask but it was a Mike Meyers mask that she apparently wore for Halloween a couple years ago. Still it was effective and Eddie led the charge towards a very large motorhome near the middle of the park. We trekked our way between the other trailers and steered clear of it's owners who were watching TV outside. Steve jimmied open the window and Eddie climbed in first with me close behind him. He threw off the mask and took a couple deep breaths before bolting over to the front seat and sliding in. I followed, watching as Eddie pulled apart the dash and began fiddling with some wires.
"Where'd you learn how to do this?" Steve inquired as he leaned over my shoulder, peering down at Eddie.
"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," Eddie said and pulled out a wire before cutting it. "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."
"Eddie...I'm not sure that I love the idea of you driving," Robin said and leaned over my other shoulder.
"Oh I'm just starting this sucker. Harrington's got her. Don't ya, big boy?" Eddie asked and grinned at Steve as he got the RV running.
The owners immediately sprang into action and began pounding on the door, trying to get it open as Eddie jumped out of the front seat.
"Uh...Steve? That's your cue," I said and he nodded before taking a seat as I grabbed shotgun.
"Everybody hang on to something!" Steve yelled as the owners headed towards the back window which was still unlocked.
"Drive, Steve! Drive!" Dustin shouted and Steve cursed before speeding off through the trailer park, ripping off the awning on his way out.
Once we were in the clear, I sat back and let out a sigh before glancing at Steve who actually looked like he was having fun.
"We're never getting an RV," I muttered and he grinned as I tried not to be sick.
"They look pissed," Dustin observed and I had to assume that the owners tried running after us.
"I mean, it's not everyday you lose your house and your car in one fell swoop," Robin said and Steve cursed.
"Hold on!"
The RV slammed into a couple trash cans and we were all jolted forward.
"Good driving," I informed.
"Really?" Steve asked and I rolled my eyes.
"No...definitely not, sarcasm for sure," I told him and he chuckled before finally getting the RV settled and the others all calmed down.
I managed to settle my racing heart and stared out the front window, actually enjoying the RV a lot more than I thought. It was pretty cool that we were literally driving a house down the road and I even could admit to myself that getting one could be fun.
"How is it?" I asked after noticing that Steve had relaxed as well.
"Not half bad considering its also a house," he muttered and I chuckled.
"You know...this would be fun."
"It would. I always had this dream about getting one of these and driving around my family all summer. Now...I can do it with our family," Steve said and smiled as mine faded.
"Yeah...family...you wanted a big one right?"
"Six little nuggets is my goal," Steve said and smiled as I sighed. "Hey...we can still achieve that."
"I know...it's just hard to think about," I muttered and glared at the road.
"I never told you but my dad had a friend and he fostered kids with his wife and by the time they were around 50 they fostered almost 45 kids," Steve informed and my eyes widened. "Some it was for like a week, others longer and they adopted like 4 by the end of it. But every holiday they would get together and discuss life and meet new grandkids and partners and it was one giant family, there was like 100 of them by the end. And sure they weren't full on parents to a lot of them but they that bond and it didn't go away. And that's my goal, to have so many kids we won't know what do to with ourselves."
"I like that. One big Harrington reunion every summer and we can also adopt as well," I added and Steve nodded.
"Of course. I see myself in that life with nobody else but you and I don't care if they're not mine by blood because that's not what makes a child. El is your sister through and through and regardless they will be our kids. We don't need blood, just love."
"That was so stupidly cringey...I love it," I said and stood in order to give him a kiss before falling back in my chair. "But we can't plan it yet, I still don't know what's gonna happen."
"You're gonna beat him Ren, I know you will. I know this because you're Ren freaking Hopper now Harrington and you'll always be a badass. Vecna is foolish for thinking he'll do anything to you, cause he won't, you're stronger than him. And as long as I'm here, you can beat him and we'll get our hundred little nuggets."
"We'll make good parents, we have plenty of practice," I said and glanced back at the kids as Steve chuckled.
"That we do."
Steve pulled off the road and sure enough we had made it to the most American store I had ever seen in my life. Not only was their mascot a giant eagle but there were also hundreds of people milling about with carts packed full of guns.
"God...everyone and their gun loving mother is here," I muttered and glared at a lady who was carrying a rifle, her young son holding the ammo.
"Hicks and guns, a match made in heaven," Steve muttered and I chuckled as Robin and Nancy joined us at the front.
I stood and let out a sigh before following them, Erica and Max into the store, Steve close behind me.
"So much for avoiding angry hicks," Robin muttered once we got in and saw the massive amount of people inside as well.
"Let's be...fast," Nancy suggested and we all nodded.
Max and Erica followed Nancy which left the three amigos together and the one thing we all needed was a change of clothes. I followed Steve and Robin over to the clothing which was packed full of leather jackets, cargo pants and combat boots, everything one could need. I pulled out some options Steve grabbed the first stuff he could spot in his size and bolted into the change room.
"Ren? How's it look?" Steve inquired and stepped out before showing off his outfit.
He had ended up grabbing a camo shirt, grey cargo pants and a leather air force jacket that I was definitely claiming after we fought Vecna.
"Excellent. I'm stealing that jacket," I declared and Steve chuckled.
"Thought you'd say that."
I grinned and gave him a kiss before changing into my outfit that was very similar except I had picked a black sweater and an oversized leather jacket. I also pulled on a pair of combat boot since the converse I wore into the Upside Down were very much ruined. I stepped out and smiled at my look in the mirror, loving the jacket even more than Steve's.
"Just kidding...I got my own," I muttered and twirled as he nodded.
"Very nice," Steve said and kissed me before we walked off in order to find Robin.
We found her in the fuel aisle grabbing giant cans of lighter fluid since out intention was to make Molotov co*cktails.
"How many of these do you think we need?" Robin asked once she noticed that Steve and I had joined her.
"Five or six," Steve said and Robin reached up to grab the can but stopped and stared.
I eyed her before glancing ahead to find Robin was so entranced by the very girl that she had been obsessing over.
"Holy hell...Vickie," I muttered and Steve smiled before shoving Robin.
"What are you gonna do Robin? Stand and gawk?" Steve mocked and Robin glared at him.
"Shut up," she hissed and was just about to step forward when a guy appeared and grabbed Vickie, making her jump.
"Jesus, you scared me!" Vickie exclaimed and nearly dropped the pepper spray she was holding.
"Whoa. You gonna mace me with that?" The guy inquired and Vickie rolled her eyes.
"If it keeps you in line, yeah."
The guy rolled his eyes before grabbing Vickie and kissing her, crushing Robin's heart. I stared at Robin as her mind was a constant loop of calling herself stupid for thinking that a girl in Hawkins could ever be like her. Robin sniffled before running off, Steve reached out to her but missed.
"Robin! Robin!" Steve exclaimed but she didn't listen and bolted out of the store.
I was about to follow when I caught sight of an intriguing development over at the gun counter.
"Steve...look," I muttered and pointed at the counter where Nancy was talking to Jason, the jock.
"sh*t, she looks uncomfortable."
"I got it," I muttered and Steve tried to stop me.
"Ren..."
I ignored him and stepped forward before focusing on Jason and willing his mind to relinquish control to me. My enhanced powers worked wonders and Jason stopped harassing Nancy and glanced at me, eyes blank and lifeless.
"You don't see her, talk to the man and leave her be," I ordered and he nodded before turning and ignoring Nancy.
"Come on, that won't stop for long," I muttered and followed Steve over to the counter before paying for the items.
We headed back outside and jumped into the RV, a lot more eager to get out of there than before.
"What took you so long?" Dustin asked but Steve ignored him.
"We gotta go."
"You're old friends are here," Erica said and glanced at Lucas.
"Let's go!" Dustin exclaimed and Steve sat before turning to him.
"I'm going, sit down!" I took a seat as Steve slammed on the gas pedal and took off, leaving the War Zone and all the hicks in the dust.
***
We ended up in a large field as everyone stood around and made arrangements for the impending fight. Nancy sawed off the barrel of her shotgun with Max, Dustin and Eddie made a shield and Erica and Lucas seemed to be having some sort of deep conversation. I was by the RV with Steve and Robin as we mixed lighter fluid with vodka and added in a rag to make some Molotov's.
"It just doesn't make sense," Steve muttered as Robin held a funnel so he wouldn't spill any fluid.
"What doesn't make sense?" Robin asked and Steve stopped pouring so he could focus on her.
"That was Dan Shelter. He graduated, like, two years ago."
"So?" Robin asked and her mind was still berating her.
"So he's in college. Which means he was visiting on spring break. You said the movie was returned like a week ago. Right? Maybe she has a brother we don't know about. Which is possible. Or she's just really into Judge Reinhold."
"Steve," Robin muttered and he glanced at her.
"What?"
"I don't care. And I don't understand why you do either with everything that is going on. Honestly, it feels like the perfect time to just forget about her altogether. Because between the world ending and my love life, we should focus on the world."
"Yeah...but still...I have hope," Steve muttered and I nodded in encouragement.
"So do I."
"Not everyone can get their happy ending like you two," Robin shot back and I frowned at her.
"We're not the only ones."
"Sometimes it feels like it. And I'm not talking about romance, failed or not...I just have this terrible feeling that it might not work out for us this time."
"You think we shouldn't be doing this?" Steve asked and Robin shrugged.
"I think we're mad fools the lot of us, but if we don't stop him. Who will? We have to try, right?"
"Yeah. To killing Vecna," Steve muttered and held up the bottle of vodka that wasn't mixed with lighter fluid.
"Slash Henry," Robin added.
"Slash One."
"I love you two," I muttered and took a swig when Steve handed me the bottle.
"Same here," Robin agreed and Steve smiled before grabbing my hand.
"Definitely."
We all took another swig before the others said they were finished and the sun was just starting to set. We all piled into the RV and headed out, dropping off Lucas, Max and Erica at the Creel House. I assured Max that I'd see her in his lair before wrapping her in a hug and watching as they walked inside. We then all headed back to the trailer park and I sat back in the front seat knowing that this was it, the final battle. The whole thing that we had been working towards came down to this and I felt like I ready. But there was also another part of he that knew Robin was right and that death seemed almost inevitable.
