30. Struggle

☾.˚˖⁺✦ Struggle ✦˙⊹˚☽

TW // Horror

Song Guide: Screaming For Vengeance by Judas Priest

Victoria clung to her shield for dear life as she squeezed her eyes tightly preparing for the worst.

But, nothing happened.

She waited a few more seconds, but still nothing. Her breathing became quick and shaky. Had she died instantly? Was this it? Was she in the afterlife?

Keeping her eyes shut, she tried to use her other senses to pick up what was happening around her. Goosebumps arose on her forearms, she felt the tickling sensation behind her neck as well.

Just listen, she told herself.

Cocking her head to the side she heard the vicious sounds of wings flapping aggressively from a distance. The brunette girl then felt the sudden breeze around her. It began to feel colder and colder as the air sped up. Victoria peeked her eyes open as her stomach twisted into knots.

The only thing Victoria saw was the space around her fill with darkness. Bats after bats after bats swarming in a circle all around her. The wind began to pick up from how quick the creatures flew. Her heart was racing out of her chest as she tightened her grip onto the shield and spear. Fear welcomed her with open arms. "Ah, shit."

When she told Eddie every hero needs a stupid sidekick, she should have really emphasized stupid because now she doesn't know what to do. She turned to the sound of every loud chitter that felt as if the bats were closing in on her. She glanced all around her as she looked left and right waiting for one of these pesty beasts to lunge for her. "Come on! What are you waiting for!"

Victoria heard Eddie's yells break through the surface as she squinted her eyes trying to make out her friend from the other side. Finally seeing that Eddie was preparing to run through the bats she shook her head. "Eddie, don't you fuck-"

"Victoria, so fucking help me!", he yelled back at her.

"No, stop, stop, STOP! I came to save you so... So stay back, Eddi- EDWARD."

Eddie's jaw dropped as he was caught aback by the mention of his full name. A smile crept onto his lips as he aggressively shook his head waving his shield in front him, he ran.

She jumped at the sound of a battle roar as she watched Eddie ram himself through the whirlwind of bats. He struggled as he continuously pushed his way through letting out his screams of frustration until he finally broke in.

The brunette girl stumbled forward as she caught her dearest friend before he hit the ground. He looked up at her with a cheesy grin plastered onto his face. She smiled down at him, "You're such a goddamn idiot, you know that right?"

His eyes began to water as he embraced her in a warming tight hug, "I know."

In the slightest second they both got, she buried her face into his shoulder squeezing her arms around him. She had been so utterly petrified to lose him, seeing him okay right in front of her was a bit of a relief.

Feeling the warmness of Eddie's hold as he closed his arms around her. He was alive. He was there. And he was holding her. This was the feeling that she had wished she could have had from her father, but Eddie was it. The part of her that felt safe and loved and cared for. The unbreakable bond.

But now the question stood. How would they both get out of this alive?

Startled by the sound of bats screeching, they both released each other to look upwards. The chittering grew louder and louder causing them both to reach for their weapons.

One of the bats let out a loud screech as it began its decent towards them both, being followed by others.

It had begun.

☾.˚˖⁺✦˙⊹˚☽Dustin's Pov

The young boy laid on the ground grasping onto his leg feeling the pain rush through him. He allows himself to lay there for a few seconds as he cried. All he wanted at this point was the comfort of his mom and sister.

Victoria.

"Come on, Dustin, get up.", he whispered to himself.

Maybe he really was not cut out to be fighting with the older kids. All the time he spent begging to be treated like one of them was now coming to pay its debt. He shouldn't have urged to be one of the older kids, he should have been enjoying his youth as much as he could.

After all, he was still a kid. Dustin was stuck between the awkward transition year of still being a kid, but entering into his teenage phase. He was growing older, yet somehow he still thought himself to be the small child who had no top teeth and was missing collarbones.

He thought himself to be a freak to say the least, but he enjoyed being the freak. As his sister always said, what's the point of being normal if you're just like everyone else?

Victoria had a way of making people feel accepted and wanted in the world, it was wired into them both. Dustin liked to think they got that from their mom, always seeing the good in people.

His whole life had been surrounded by other people trying to protect him, but for once he wanted to protect the people he loved. He wanted to protect his sister, which he did for as long as he could by keeping her away from all this, but even then he realized how much he needed her.

And then Eddie. Poor innocent Eddie. He was never cut out for this, yet somehow he never complained one bit about all the shit he had gone through the past few days. Dustin admired him, but now needed to protect him from this real life D&D game displaying itself before them.

Come on, Dustin, they need you, he thought to himself as he rolled around on the ground finding the effort to pull himself upwards.

Sitting upwards was the agonizing bit as all he found his mind focused on was the excruciating pain he was feeling.

"Get to Victoria", he whispered to himself, "Get to Victoria."

Dustin grabbed the spear that was a few inches away from him. He turned it around looking for his initials he had engraved into it earlier along with Victoria and Eddie.

It read...

☾.˚˖⁺✦˙⊹˚☽Eddie's Pov

"DUCK!", Victoria yelled over the noise.

Eddie did as he was told as he dropped to the ground with his hands over his head. He peaked upwards, watching Victoria lunge over him as she ruthlessly threw her shield into a couple of demo bats that he hadn't even realized they were so close to harming him.

He sat on his knees for a brief second taking it in how real this all was. Somehow he forced himself to believe that this whole thing was just one big horrible nightmare that he couldn't wake up from, but it was clear that this was quite the opposite.

It was real.

Realer then ever.

Eddie had spent some time thinking what death would be like. Would it be quick? Would it be brutally painful? Would it be fulfilling?

He had been thinking about it more in these past few seconds than ever in his lifetime. There was something comforting, yet sickening about it. He, of course, was not ready to die, but the thought of maybe going to a better place did seem to console his mind a bit.

The dark haired boy couldn't quite ignore the thoughts and the feeling in his chest that he wasn't going to make it past all this. The same exact feeling he felt a few moments ago when he made the decision to cut all ties for Victoria and Dustin to come back through, which evidently failed.

The older boy felt the soft touch of Victoria's hand meet his skin as she tugged on his arm pulling him upwards and back onto his feet.

Looking into her eyes was the best feeling in the world. He knew what Steve must feel every time he looked into her eyes because, he too, had the privilege of getting to know that feeling. Even in a moment like this her eyes were as warm as the sun. It made Eddie feel as if everything was going to be okay.

She cocked a small smile towards him, "You okay?"

He nodded his head as he offered the same type of smile back to her, "Yeah."

As horrible of a thought, if there was one thing he was grateful for was Victoria coming back for him. Even if they both died right then, at least they would end it as being heroes together.

☾.˚˖⁺✦˙⊹˚☽Victoria's Pov

Chills began to run down her spine again, but this time it was different. It was quickly followed by goosebumps spreading all across her arms and legs. It felt as if ballerinas were dancing all around in her stomach. The unexplainable feeling in her chest causing her breathing to quicken and tightness spread all around.

This would be an absolute horrible moment to start having a panic attack, yet something inside her was saying this was far worse than that.

Victoria's grip around the spear tightened as she froze in place. She looked all around her. Were the bats beginning to close in on them? Have they been getting closer by the second?

She watched as Eddie fended off the few smacking them away from where they were standing closely together. His roar echoing in the space around them, "Come on!"

Whatever she was feeling right now had a tight chokehold on her. Her mind began to spiral.

Was it Max? Had something happened to her?

☾.˚˖⁺✦˙⊹˚☽Max's Pov

Darkness.

Everything went dark for Maxine. The world fell quiet around her. She couldn't recall what brought her to this moment. All she could remember was seeing El be thrown across the gymnasium by Vecna.

Which El being there was still a big question on its own as Max still couldn't quite understand how she got there. But that still wasn't her biggest worry.

Where was she now?

It was cold, her body was cold. She felt out of place with herself, yet she was still present.

Hello?

☾.˚˖⁺✦˙⊹˚☽Victoria's Pov

She could feel every inch of her body turn icy cold. This was a cold that could not be explained. It hurt to even move a muscle.

The feeling of darkness overcoming her soul as she shivered.

Another frightening thought entered her mind.

Was it Steve? Was he hurt?

☾.˚˖⁺✦˙⊹˚☽Steve's Pov

Steve Harrington never believed in a greater force. If he did, he would question the life he was forced to live with parents that only cared about their appearance and wealth.

He used to question why the father he was given was always so ruthless against him. The boy was only just growing up and getting started out in the world. He'd look at other kids his age and how easy they got it.

How forgiving the other parents were if their kids didn't get into the beat colleges. Why weren't his parents as lenient?

Perfection.

That's what they strives for. Steve hated it. He was far from being the perfect child, and it used to greatly bother him.

But now, now he's begging for a greater good to save him. Anything at this point.

Steve wasn't ready to die. Had he taken everything in his life for granted. His friends.

Robin.

His eyes focused on the girl before him struggling to breathe just like he was. Tears streaming down her cheeks as she too met his stare. She was trembling in fear as her eyes were wider than it's ever been.

On second thought, greater good.... save them both.

Robin mouthed to him, "It's okay."

One thing Robin was really good at was knowing what Steve was thinking about. At all times. It was scary at times.

She knew how terrified he was in this very moment. There was no use in hiding it as he was pretty confident this was it for them.

This. Was. It.

Last bits of air forcefully being squeezed out of his lungs.

Steve shut his eyes.

If death was going to greet him at the door, he wanted to at least have one last look at her.

☾.˚˖⁺✦˙⊹˚☽Victoria's Pov

Victoria's chest began to constrict. She clutched onto it as she shook her head side to side trying to snap out of it. Feeling the restriction of air take place in her lungs.

What was this she was beginning to feel?

A ghastly grasp around her neck as a tingly feeling settled upon her skin.

She snapped her head upwards at Eddie as she heard his faint screams in the background, yet not a single word made sense.

The only sound rushing into her ears were the rapid beats of her heart. Her grip loosened on the spear. Her eyes fell down to her struggling hand

Victoria's face softened.

D.H.

Dustin.

"Victoria! Eddie!"

The brunette girl searched for the voice. It was of her brother's, but there was no possible way.

"Dustin.", she managed to stumble out, "Dustin!"

Her eyes finally locking those with her brother who was limping towards where they were. She could only manage to see glimpses of him between the bats.

"Victoria, watch out!", Eddie yelled.

As she turned back around coming face to face with the creature unlike any other. These bat-like animals were even scarier this close up.

Everything happened so quickly as she found herself falling back in a way to get away. The last sight of Eddie was his horrified face as he yelled out her name.

She looked over to her brother's spear in her hand as she yelled a warrior cry lunging towards the bat before it's teeth could pierce her skin.

"Victoria!", she heard the cries of her best friend.

She shoved the spear straight through the mouth of the bat as she hit ground, knocking all the air from out of her body. Her hand loosing its grip on the spear as it flew over to the side pierced into the creature and out of sight.

"Victoria!"

The brunette girl managed her way up as she saw Eddie frantically battling bat after bat, but trying to find a way to see her.

"Damn it, Victoria. Say something!", the boy cried.

"I'm okay. I'm okay.", she yelled back to him struggling to find where the spear ended.

"Jesus."

One loud bang of Eddie's shield crashing into a bat sounded.

"Fucking."

The sound of a bat squealing loudly came through next as he shoved his spear deep into its gut. He pulled backwards as the small beast fell to the ground.

"Christ."

Victoria's eyes widened as she stared blankly and shockingly at the one person she believed had all this strength hidden within him.

She smiled at him as he smiled back at her pushing his hair out of his face. "Guess I really have to save the Queen, huh?"

"You really are the hero..."

They both shared a small moment. An understanding. The moment she had been waiting for. The two best friends had reach their fullest potential in life.

The one who stopped running and the one who finally allowed people to love her.

Victoria stared at her friend with such admiration, if only this feeling could have lasted a little longer.

Eddie's face changed. It dropped, almost as if he saw a ghost. He began to run towards her. She felt the slithering sensation of something wrapping itself around her ankle.

She took a glance down as she saw the small beast pull her as she fell forward smacking her face right into the solid ground once again.

☾.˚˖⁺✦˙⊹˚☽Max's Pov

Wake up, Max.

MAX, WAKE UP!

The sound of Billy's faint voice rang into the young girl's ears as she wiggled out of unconsciousness. She pulled forward, but was unable to move. Her arms and legs were restricted.

What the hell, she thought to herself.

The wave of fear spread itself around her. The realization settling in the pit of her stomach.

She refused to acknowledge what was happening. The sounds of footsteps began to approach her. Her body began to tremble as tears escaped her sealed eyes.

Max began to cry feeling his presence right in front of her. She could feel his heavy breaths tickle the skin on her face.

Open your eyes, don't let him get the satisfaction.

She peeled her eyes open coming face to face with Vecna. He released a growl as he stepped even closer to her. Max couldn't help, but continue to cry.

This was it.

Vecna reached forward as he caressed her face. "Don't be afraid. Try and stay very still."

Lucas?

Lucas, please, she said to herself.

"It will all be over soon."

Max tried her best to pull away from him as Vecna reached his hand up above her head.

Lucas.

Think of Lucas.

Lucas loves you.

Lucas has been the one person who could see right through you Max.

Lucas stayed.

Her eyes rolled to the back of her head.

Lucas?

☾.˚˖⁺✦˙⊹˚☽Lucas's Pov

Jason's hands were tightly wrapped around his neck as he struggled for freedom. His eyes drifted to the girl he loves.

Maxine Mayfield.

From the first day he laid his eyes on her, he knew. She was the one. As cliche as it sounds, but Lucas went day and night without being able to not think about her. Even then it still happened despite the times she's attempted to push him away.

The funny thing is, he's stubborn. He would never go away. Lucas would spend so much time thinking of ways he could annoy her or simply say a word to her around school until eventually she stopped scolding him about it.

He loved her the way he imagined his dad loved his mom, unconditionally. The young boy knew deep within Max, she still cared for him too because why else would she put up with his annoyance since they had no longer been together.

And now, now there had been hope to restore their relationship and the love that never vanished.

They had a date to go to on Friday, a date he would be assured to make it the most memorable date they both can have.

But now he had to fight. He had to break free, he won't let go of this date. He won't let Max go.

Max...

Lucas's eyes drifted over to the red headed girl as her body began to lift off the ground. Anger boiled from way within began to make its way up his body as he found himself pushing Jason off of him.

He was the one now punching the older boy repeatedly in the face. Nothing mattered in the world if it meant he had to live in it without Max by his side. He wouldn't do it.

He couldn't do it.

Lucas released Jason as his unconscious body fell to the ground. He turned to look up at Max. The grasp of their future together escaping his finger tips.

He let out a painful scream, "Max!"

☾.˚˖⁺✦˙⊹˚☽Eddie's Pov

The older boy dropped everything in his hands as he dove forward. Not caring what the consequences were he was too scared of losing Victoria.

She was the only person he cared for most in the world. The day she had decided to walk right into his life and make herself at home was the day he knew she was a gift sent by his mother.

Victoria was solely the only other person he had ever loved as much as he loved his mother. He couldn't lose her, not her too.

Eddie wrapped his hands around her wrists before she could be pulled back. He yelled as he felt the claws of the small beasts rip into his back.

Don't let her go, he thought to herself.

He cried out, "Victoria, please! Please! Please! Please! I need you!"

Tears streamed down his cheek as he clung onto her. He tried his best to wave the bats away, trying to protect her.

He screamed louder, "Victoria!"