13. Eddie, The Banished

A.N. Hello my lovely readers,

I am extremely amazed by how much you all are enjoying this story!!

As you all may have started to notice, we are soon reaching towards the last episode that aired, episode 7 of stranger things. Due to wanting to stay fitting into each episode, the unfortunate news is that as soon as I am caught up writing alongside episode 7 I will have to take a pause until the next volume is released on July 1st.

Now, I am leaving it up to you all to vote on what you would prefer. I am planning for there to be three more chapters to be written before the next volume is released.

You can either vote for I release these three chapters right away or I spread them out up until July 1st which means you will have a longer wait before you'll be able to read the next chapters. Let me know what you would like me to do!

Anyways, here's a fun thing to think about, any guesses of what Steve and Victoria's song is? Drop a comment and let me know what your guess is!

Now let's get back to the story, enjoy!!

Xoxo,Nik <3

☾.˚˖⁺✦ Eddie, The Banished ✦˙⊹˚☽

TW // Horror

Song Guide: Hammer To Fall by Queen

After last night's event, it had felt like all eyes had been on her at all times. Even more so then when they had been on Max which she hated. She knew she had came face-to-face with Vecna last night, but somehow she found herself feeling guilty from taking from the younger girl's protection. She would much rather everyone worry about Max than her.

The car ride began to feel unnecessarily long going back to where Eddie was staying. She hoped he was doing alright. The circumstances were difficult, unsure if the cops had gotten to him. Which one thing that alleviated her worries is that Vecna had come to her and not him or Max.

Victoria had been sat directly in the middle of Max and Lucas. The red headed girl was too busy blaring the Kate Bush song over and over and over while Lucas was silent occasionally looking out the window. This time around they had taken Nancy's car, a lot more spacious than Steve's.

She could hear the loud and obnoxious munching noise from the trunk coming from Dustin and Steve. Right about now she wished she had headphones of her own to block out the sound. Trying to distract herself, she attempted to tune into what Nancy and Robin were speaking about.

"Not to be a wimp, but can I sit in the car?", Robin questioned the whole group, " 'Cause this is gonna totally and royally suck."

"It'll be fine.", Nancy responded.

"I can't stand to see those dull eyes of Eddie's break again. I really, really can't."

"Try being his best friend and having to see that...", Victoria had let out in a sigh.

Steve attempted to lighten the mood as he held up the pack of beer, "At least he can drink himself into feeling better."

The brunette girl frowned. That wasn't particularly a good suggestion, especially knowing that Eddie liked to drink more than the usual person did.

"That's what my mom does.", Max replied.

Both Lucas and Victoria glanced at the younger girl who simply sighed and returned her gaze to the nature outside her window. They both exchanged a knowing look, both an agreement that Max has had a rough life even prior to Billy's death.

"Why don't we give it a trial? 'Hey, Eddie. Uh, good news first this time. We got you some Dustin-approved junk food and that six-pack you requested. Oh yeah, and we found Vecna. Only the bad news is that he's in that other, darker, much scarier dimension, that we told you about. And the gate's closed, so we have no way of getting to him. Like he's entirely shut off to us, so basically you're screwed. And no, no, I know you were already screwed, but now you're doubly, triply screwed."

The car fell quiet after Robin's rant ended. Victoria could feel her stomach twist. The news was not looking bright for her best friend, and she hated every second of it. The idea of staying in the car how Robin had suggested earlier was sounding like a good idea right about now.

"Wait, Wait, Wait. Maybe we don't put it like that...", Lucas replied.

" 'We're one step closer to finding Vecna.' That's what we say. That's what's important."

"I'm with Nancy on that. Always add a little positive note somewhere."

"See, Robin? Positive spin can make all the difference.", Steve added while shoving another Pringle into his mouth.

Victoria annoyed finally snatched the container of Pringles as she began to eat her nerves away. Max glanced over as she also decided to join in eating some chips.

"Hey, those were ours!", Steve complained.

"Shut it, Steve.", the brunette girl replied.

Dustin perked up, "Steve?"

"That is his name, Dustin."

"No."

"No?"

Before the two siblings could begin to go back and forth with each other, Nancy caught everyone's attention. "Oh, shit."

Everyone turned to look forward as they saw where Eddie had been staying was blocked off. The cops had gotten to him. Victoria grew in a state of panic. "Pullover, pullover, pullover."

As soon as the car came to a standstill, the brunette girl stepped over Max running out the car. The trunk door swung open as Steve chased after her. He moved in front of her, blocking her from being seen. "Woah. Woah. Woah. What are you doing?"

Her eyes were wandering everywhere else looking for her friend. "Eddie."

He sighed looking around them. His hands grabbed onto the strings of her hoodie pulling them as it tightened the hood around her head. Running back to the car, he rummaged through Nancy's glove compartment pulling out sunglasses. "Wear these and stay behind us."

She nodded as she thanked him for letting her be out there with them all. Looking around she had noticed her brother was glaring at the both of them. Her attention was brought to how close her and Steve were. Taking a few steps away from him as she turned to stand beside Max now.

They all followed close behind Nancy, who had been leading them to stand behind the news van.

One of the cops began to report, "...reporting a homicide here on the lake."

Victoria's heart sank. All the horrible possibilities she had thought prior was all coming true. There had been no possible way she had lost two of her closest friends in less than a span of a week. She could feel herself breaking little by little, pieces of her being taken to the grave by Chrissy and now Eddie.

"Officer Callahan here and myself arrived first on the scene. We made our way to the shore of Lover's Lake, about ten yards from that house you see behind me."

The officer had pointed at Reefer Rick's home, the exact place Victoria had last seen her friend.

"It was there that we found the victim, an 18-yea-old senior from Hawkins High,"

It was coming. They were about to announce the death of her best friend. She was not ready to cope with hearing his name being said.

"Patrick McKinney."

Victoria let out the breath she hadn't known she was holding in until now. Her hand was being tightly gripped by someone else's .

Looking towards the hand and whom it belonged to, it had been Robin's. They had both been squeezing each other's hand, expecting the worst news to be announced. The two girls glanced at each other knowing that they shared the same thought, Eddie was still alive and he hadn't been taken in.

They both heard someone clear their voice from behind. Robin turned her head to the noise as Victoria was being attentive to what else the officer had been saying. She finally turned her head when she heard Steve whispering to Robin.

"So help me Robin, stop holding her hand."

"Actually I'm good."

"Robin!"

"Shhh, someone just fucking died. Show some respect, Steve.", Victoria finally blurted out trying to bite down a smile.

Her smile immediately vanished as Eddie's name had been spoken by the police, he was identified as the number one suspect of interest.

"Oh, man. This is not good. Really not good.", Steve said now looking straight ahead at the cop.

Victoria felt herself be yanked back by Max. The younger girl began dragging her back to the car. "What are you doing?"

"You need to sit in the car and wait till we come back. Everyone knows that your Eddie's best friend which means they're going to be on the pursuit for you as well. So, get in the car.", the red headed girl opened the door wide open for her to sit inside.

"We need to find Eddie."

"God, can you just do this. For me?? I cannot bare losing someone else close to me, so can you please get in the damn car."

Victoria saw the pain behind Max's blue eyes. She nodded her head as she obliged and entered the vehicle. Trying not to not think too much of how badly her friend was hurting, Max did have a point. Now that Eddie's name had been released to the public, there would be an even larger target on her head.

The brunette girl began to bob her knee up and down as her anxiety was now spiking high. She hated not knowing what was happening in the outside world. But what had her even more concerned was where Eddie was. She knew he would be smart enough to relocate, but going back to square one on the drawing board to scout him out was adding more stress to the situation.

The group began to make their way back to the car. "So, what'd they say?"

"We know where Eddie is!", Dustin replied squeezing in with her in the backseat as Max and Lucas took the trunk this round.

☾.˚˖⁺✦˙⊹˚☽

Steve's Pov

The frustration began when Dustin was convinced he knew the way to go. He did not. Steve was growing impatient and annoyed by the younger boy's determination. Glancing over to his beautiful sister, he sighed. "How do you put up with him?"

She laughed, "Well, you learn to just let him take his course until he admits defeat.... If he ever does anyways."

Steve groaned as he knew Dustin was going the wrong way to Skull Rock. Out of all the people in the group, he knew the most of how to get to their destination. The more he thought about it, it was in fact the most known make out spot in all of Hawkins, thanks to him. He took pride in that.

"Dude, I'm telling you, you're taking us the wrong way.", the brunette continued to plead.

Dustin waved his map and compass towards Steve, "It's north. I'm positive. I checked the map."

"You do realize Skull Rock, it's a super popular make-out spot?"

Victoria crossed her arms over her chest, "And how do you know that?"

Steve's eyes grew wide unsure if he should respond honestly. He did.

"Well, it wasn't popular until I made it popular. I practically invented it."

The brunette girl had a slight smirk on her face, "Well, thanks for inventing that. I had a few great make out sessions there."

His face dropped as he watched her quickly walk away from them two joining the other two older girls of the group. Steve found himself gritting his teeth together in jealousy. Who could she have possibly kissed at Skull Rock?

He found her brother piercing a glare onto him. "What?"

Dustin squinted his eyes as he said harshly, "I know you did it."

Steve was caught off by the boy's tone towards him. "You know I invented Skull Rock?"

"No you idiot! I know about you! And you and my sister!"

Taking a deep breath, he had to take a few seconds to analyze the situation. Was this a test? Was the way he answered the question going to expose him and Victoria? He didn't want to lie to Dustin because he viewed him almost as if he could be his own little brother. Plus, he was convinced if he did lie, he would instantly know.

The least Steve wanted to do was betray Dustin's trust. He should just come out and say it. Admit everything to him. Maybe get on his knees and beg for forgiveness.

But would he let me date his sister, he thought to himself.

They never particularly had that conversation where Dustin had said off limits to his sister, but prior to this week she also did hate him and he thought she was quite annoying. Panic arose in the boy, begging for something to miraculously happen to get him out of answering this question.

God, if you're up there can you help a boy out, he prayed in his mind.

Saved by the heavens above or more like from the angel herself, Victoria rejoined them. "Dustin, none of this looks familiar... I think you should listen to Ste-shit- Harrington, on this."

Steve saw her nervous look. One thing they were bad at was trying to go back to the way they referred to each other. There was so much more trust built up between them. They finally crossed that barrier, and were able to call each other by more personal names.

Victoria eyed the two boys, "Are you two just going to stand there or actually put yourselves to some use?"

"Right, well see we're heading in the wrong direction.", Steve began to walk off from Dustin and Victoria.

"Steve. Where are you going? STEVE!"

"Stop whining. Let's go. Just trust me."

"The same way I trusted you with my SISTER?"

Victoria had a bewildered look on her face. He knew. He knew about them. He knew about what they had done two nights ago. HE KNEW.

"Fine, you know what you are completely right, Rug Rat. Me and your besttttt friend did it!", Victoria had said now running away from her brother.

"VICTORIA RENEE HENDERSON, YOU COME BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!"

Steve's jaw flew open unexpected for her to admit it so nonchalantly to her younger brother. No one else had heard, but them. He was also slightly impressed and extremely more attracted to her. The brunette boy couldn't help, but find himself stupidly grinning about Victoria.

☾.˚˖⁺✦˙⊹˚☽

"Bada bing, bada boom. There she is, Mini Henderson. Skull Rock! In your face, man. In your stupid, cocky little face." , Steve announced over to Dustin.

Tensions had eventually subsided between Dustin and his sister and, well, Steve. The brunette boy was too busy trying to guide everyone in the right direction, he wasn't able to eavesdrop in the conversation Victoria had with her brother. It had to have been a decent one considering Dustin wasn't trying to kill him right about now.

The younger boy looked around all of them confused, "Doesn't make sense..."

"Yeah, yeah. Even with it staring you in the face, you can't admit it. Just can't admit you're wrong, you butthead."

Victoria was gigglingly to herself as the three of them jumped to the noise of a loud stomp on the ground from behind.

"I concur. You, Dustin Henderson, brother of Queen Victoria, are a total butthead.", Eddie declared.

Such excitement illuminated Victoria's face as she ran over to the raven haired boy embracing him in a tight hug. "Oh, Eddie. I was so worried sick about you!"

A tinge of jealousy settled in Steve's chest, carefully eyeing where exactly Eddie placed his hands on the brunette girl. He watched as Eddie closed his eyes sinking into the smaller girls arms as he breathed in her scent.

Dustin joined their hug squeezing his way in. "Jesus, we thought you were a goner."

Steve wasn't sure who he was more jealous of Eddie hugging Victoria or Dustin. How in the world did Eddie manage to have both of them as well? He wasn't pleased that now he had to share the attention with another older boy.

"Yeah, me too, man. Me too.", Eddie responded to Dustin.

The three of them stepped away from each other, except Victoria was still uncomfortably close to the other boy. Eddie looked towards Steve as he waved his hand at him, his response to this was a simple head nod his way.

The two of them weren't particularly fond of each other, but they also did not hate one another. It was a weird tension, nonetheless. The other members of the group gathered around Eddie as they greeted him as well.

☾.˚˖⁺✦˙⊹˚☽

Victoria's Pov

Victoria can feel the uneasiness in Eddie through the way he constantly found something to fidget with as he told everyone what had occurred the night before. As grateful as she was to know that he was alive and not arrested, her heart was hurting for him.

"When I got to the shore, I tried calling you guys, but, uh...my walkie was busted, man. Drenched. So, uh, I did the thing that I do now, apparently. I ran."

"With your boney chicken legs?", Victoria said without thinking.

Luckily for her, Eddie had laughed at her remark. She softly smiled at him.

"Do you know what time this was? The attack?", Nancy questioned.

"Yeah, no, I...", Eddie proceeded to remove his watch, "I know exactly what time it was. My walkie wasn't the only thing that got soaked."

He threw the watch over to Nancy. Eddie's dark eyes met hers as she mouthed to him with concern, You okay?

He tilted his head to one side as he shrugged his shoulders. She moved away from Dustin as she squatted down beside Eddie, taking his hand in hers. Rubbing the top of his hand as Steve and him had commonly done to her to soothe her when she was stressed or panicked. She heard a heavy sigh release from his lips. If she could take everything he was feeling away, she would.

Her eyes went back to the group, but her attention was snatched by the way Steve had been looking at her. His brows furrowed with his jaw tensed. His eyes had been looking at her hand with Eddie's.

If there was one thing that was for sure, she would never change her relationship with Eddie because of a boy. She loved Eddie too much.

"9:27.", Nancy announced.

"Same time our flashlights went kabooey, and when Vic-", Robin got smacked in the arm by Steve.

Eddie perked his head up, "I'm sorry... When Vic got what?"

He turned to look at her for an explanation. "Nothing, I just, uhm, tripped and hit my head."

"Did you hit your neck too?", Eddie whispered to her so no one else can hear. She immediately pulled up her sweater over her neck.

Smacking his arm, "Not funny!"

"Was it Steve over there? Did you finally fall for his dreamy Steve eyes?"

"Eddie, stop that."

"No, no, no! 'Cause while I was getting chased by the jocks of Hawkins High, my best friend was becoming no longer a VIRGIN."

She pursed her lips together, not being able to deny anything to her best friend. A devious smile crept onto his face. "You don't got those innocent virgin eyes anymore, Queen Victoria."

She rolled her eyes at him as they both focused back onto the group. Nancy threw the watch back at Eddie.

"Well, we're one step closer. We know how Vecna attacks.", Robin pointed out.

"And where he attacks from.", Lucas added.

"So now we just need to sneak into his lair in the Upside Down and drive a stake through his heart.", Max spoke next.

Victoria's face twisted in thought. Was this Vecna monster even a vampire? What she recalled, he did look pretty human-like.... Okay, so does a vampire.

"A stake? Is he like a vamp? Is he a vampire?", Steve had asked the same exact questions going through Victoria's head.

Max rolled her eyes, "It was a metaphor."

"A bullet should work on him, right?", Eddie questioned.

"I say we chop his head off."

"AND BURN IT!", Victoria chimed in wanting to be apart of the conversation.

"Okay... Well , I say all of the above, but we can't do any of that until we find a way into the Upside Down.", Nancy brought everyone back to the reality of things.

"We need El to get her powers back.", Max groaned.

Victoria vaguely remembered El. She didn't really have a chance to know the girl too well, but what she did know is that she had been one of Max's best friends before she moved. She wondered if the two girls kept in touch.

"Everything was like way easier. We had this girl. She had superpowers."

"Superpowers", Eddie interrupted Steve, "Yeah, you mentioned her."

The brunette girl could sense a hint of annoyance behind Eddie's voice towards Steve. To be fair, she knew he was going to act this way just because he had known about her past feelings for the boy. She was going to have to update him with what was now a big misunderstanding.

"Hey, uh, Henderson's not, uh, cursed, is he?"

Victoria whipped her head to look at her brother terrified at what Eddie was insinuating. To her relief he was hard in thought pacing back and forth, a norm for him when he was deep into his mind.

"Cursed? No, no. He's fine. Mental? Absolutely." Steve replied.

"He does that... when he's well-", before Victoria had a chance to finish her sentence her brother yelled at the top of his lungs.

"BOOM!"

Dustin pointed his finger directly at Steve, "Bada... bada... boom."

Sudden nerves welcomed the brunette girl. Where was her brother going with this?

"I was right. Skull Rock was north."

Of course, this was the thing that was taunting her brother's head. He could never accept being in the wrong.

Steve rolled his eyes as he groaned loudly, "Seriously? You're serious?"

"Mm-hmm.", her brother grinned.

Steve waved his arms all around them frustrated. "This is Skull Rock! Okay?"

"Mm-hmm."

"You're totally, absolutely, 100% wrong. Right now."

Eddie leaned over to Victoria, "And you find him attractive because?"

She laughed under her breath pushing Eddie away from her ear which caught a quick glare at Eddie from Steve.

"Yes. And no.", Dustin replied.

"Oh my God. Vixie, are you listening to this?!"

This had been the first time Steve had referred to her by her new nickname in front of everyone, but everyone was too focused on the two boys bickering to even acknowledge it. Everyone, but Eddie.

He cocked his eyes over to her, "And he has a special nickname for you? How long have I been gone, Jesus Christ!"

Dustin held the compass up for everyone to see. "This worked correctly when we left the Wheelers'. It was correct when we got in the car on Curly. But it started to slip the further east we went. Now it's way off. When I was leading us here, I wasn't wrong. The compass was!"

Steve continuously motioned his arms in annoyance to her brother. "So, you're using faulty equipment. You're still wrong."

Victoria pointed her hand in the air, "Nope, I can swear on my life that that compass over there is not faulty!"

Dustin nodded at his sister with a smile on his face. He turned to look at Lucas now. "Lucas, remember what can affect a compass?"

"An electromagnetic field!!", Victoria hopped up off the ground proud to know the answer. "Oh, sorry. Lucas, proceed."

The other boy chuckled at her excitement as he continued to respond the same answer. "An electromagnetic field."

"Yep!"

Robin looked at them confused. "I'm sorry. I must have skipped that class."

"In the presence of a stronger electromagnetic field,", Dustin began.

"The needle will deflect towards that power!", Victoria ended his sentence.

"Exactly! So, either there's some super big magnet around here, or..."

"There's a gate.", Lucas finished.

"Oh... OH!", Victoria spoke out loud beginning to understand everything now.

"But we're nowhere near the lab.", Nancy pointed out ruining the spark of the moment.

The brunette girl huffed loudly annoyed at her.

"But what if, somehow, there's another gate? A gate that we don't know about. It'd have to be smaller. Way less powerful.", her brother explained.

Robin laughed, "Snack-size gate!"

Steve was still clueless to what Dustin was trying to say. "How? Why?"

"No idea. All I know is that something is causing this disturbance, and the last time we've seen anything like it, it was a gate... And I hope it is because then we'd have a way to Vecna."

Hope. Hope for a way to save Max, Eddie, and even herself.

"And a shot at freeing Max and Vic from this curse."

Eddie tugged on Victoria's arm, "And Vic??"

She tried to give him a reassuring smile, "I'm fine... I promise."

Was she fine?

"Where are you going? Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.", Steve yelled after Dustin.

Victoria followed alongside her brother ready for this next mission to start. She was ready to find the gate and end this curse for everyone once and for all.

"Eddie's still a wanted man", he then turned to look at Victoria, "And may I remind you, that so are you. We can't just go for a hike in the woods."

"First off, I am not a man. Second off, if there's a way we can somehow get to Vecna and end this whole thing wouldn't you take the chance to do so?", she questioned back to the charming brunette boy.

He sighed as he knew she did have a point.

"Look, this little steel capsule might be the key to saving Max, Vic, and Eddie", Dustin pointed over to Eddie, "What say you, Eddie the Banished?"

Victoria glanced back to look at her friend. She can tell by the look on his face it had been a lot of information to take in. But one thing she was so deeply positive about is that he would not say no.

"I say you're asking me to follow you into Mordor, which, if I'm totally straight with you, I think is a really bad idea."

Okay, not the exact reaction she was hoping for.

"But, uh, the Shire... the Shire is burning."

There it was, she knew he would come around. Both, her and her brother, began to hop in excitement as Eddie stood up.

"So Mordor it is."