#steve harringron x hopper!reader

[suffering-and-happy-about-it]

Stranger Things (The Eighties Blasts Collection, Part 9.)

Description: Jim Hopper died as a hero. But with that, one certain problem rises up - who will now lead the cops of Hawkins? Hopper thought of that - he decided to write a letter, naming his niece, nineteen-year-old student of Indianapolis police academy, Y/N Hopper as a sheriff deputy in a letter. But anybody in the town doesn’t have a clue that being a cop in Hawkins is way more dangerous than it might seem.

A/N: I know that Stranger Things opening song by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein wasn't actually produced in the eighties, but a) it is the main soundtrack of the whole series and b) it is just a really good example of music which has the power to tense you up.

Warnings: Dustin being seriously smart - I love a smart Dustin, bcs he is such a bright kid. But mostly the gang realizing that they are fucked in the butt. Maybe the kids swearing a bit? Nothing too dramatic or unusual.

Word Count: 3 K

Tagging: @charmed-asylum​ @nemodoren​

Master list: The Eighties Blast Collection

Dustin was actually quite good at giving everyone heads up, calling the kids gang with Cerebro to meet up at your place. Normally, you would watch that kid in awe just because of how intelligent he seemed to be and probably, he was more responsible than Steve by any means. Everyone knew about the super-strange thing in a spawn of ten minutes. After that, Steve drove you to your cabin where everyone was supposed to meet up.

Your conversation with Eleven was pretty much one-sided and really short since you could say one sentence only before you both started crying like little kids. When the words slipped past your lips, the boys got completely silent as you fell back to shock. You could only hear how Elever cried, but the sounds came to you from a distant place, like you weren’t even present at the moment.

After that, Steve with Mike helped you back on the backseat of your Chevy and let you lay there because you seemed to be out of your mind, just trembling.

The Demogorgon really did a number on you - putting you in a state when you were all good for a few good minutes and then you just fell into a complete shock again, these two states being constantly trying to be beaten in between themselves.

You had sloppy memories of arriving back to the cabin - only Steve and Mike helping you out while Dustin unlocked and held the door. They made you drink a cup of hot tea to raise up your blood pressure a bit. 

After other short calls from the phone in your cabin, they made the rest to come - Nancy and Robin. 

There you were, four almost adults and four kids sitting at the table in your house, some eating Eggos or other sweets, some just intensely watching you. You were sitting in the middle between Steve and Nancy while the others sat around the room - in the armchair or on the stools, some even got the chairs from the table. 

Dustin and Max's boyfriend, you still didn't remember his name, were holding the phone and changed when one of their palms started to hurt - there was Will on the phone, telling Joyce and the others what happened.

"So, what exactly happened? We don't have a clue, Hopper, and you still didn't tell us." - Mike said pretty loudly, almost yelled at you all of a sudden. You got why he was like that - he was upset by the unknown. Nobody knew anything at that moment - you were useless and Steve was too worried about you to talk. And even you two didn't know much.

"De-Demorgogon. It's real." - You looked Mike in the eyes and slowly rolled your sleeve up to your elbow to show him that bloody bruise you had there. Everyone looked at it with their breath stuck in their throat; this bruise could certainly win the competition about the most disgusting-looking bruise. Dustin was quietly describing your hand to Will in the background.

"Yeah, we already know that. It is real. Can you tell us something new?!" - Max's boyfriend burst out at you.

"But she wasn't here to see it!" - Both Nancy and Steve yelled at him to make you justice. That made the boy shut up.

"It crept at us and killed an old lady. It was probably feeding itself from her for quite some time. Her arm was bitten off." - Steve said, but nobody seemed to understand one and the exact thing.

"How could it survive inside of that house for so long without anybody seeing it?" - Max asked was the one who asked the question out loud. You and Steve looked at each other worriedly.

"I think that it's evolving. Physically, it is the same as the Demodogs or the first Demogorgon, I couldn't spot no difference there. But its brain isn't the same as it used to be." - Steve answered and looked at you to describe what you've been through. - "It was speaking to us, like when you're having a normal conversation with somebody. It was a bit weird here and there, but basically, it was really intelligent, it responded according to the subject. Let's just say... The Demogorgon was able to track down somebody lonely and who's disappearance would barely anyone notice. It hid the body and fed on it, so it didn't have to leave its nest for a long time."

"But how could you two have a normal conversation with a monster? That doesn't make any sense. Did you not see that it is a Demogorgon right away?" - Nancy asked in confusion. It wasn't too hard to say that something was Demogorgon, really, even if it had similarities to a human. - "That sounds that you're just as dumb as Steve is." - Robin chuckled to brighten up the situation, but you barely noticed it.

"Metamorphosis." - You whispered and looked at Steve. His thoughts weren't exactly as fast as yours, but you knew that he only needed the right push. - “Are we talking about the novella by Franz Kafka?” - Robin asked in confusion.

"No.” - You answered her quickly, before turning your face directly to Steve’s. It almost looked like a perfect position for a kiss... But there was no time for that. You slowly started with explaining yourself to him. - “If it did pretend that it is that old lady..." - You whispered and his eyes widened.

"It can find a new host. It can kill again." - Steve completed your sentence and you nodded at him. The situation was bad. If the Demogorgon would prey down another victim and if it would find a pattern to go with, you could be up for a pretty long play of hiding and seeking with the creature. 

And with that, you furrowed at each other. Nobody knew what you're talking about. Metamorphosis. Weird word, barely used around young people. So Dustin, who gave the phone to Lucas, stood in front of you, opening his palms and watched both of you with a worried expression, which brought everyone’s attention to him.

"Slow down, Hopper, and explain to us what's happening. I heard something about metamorphosis. How is it phasing then?" - At that moment, Robin asked. - "Why the hell you're even talking about metamorphosis? You're trying to look cool in front of the kids, guys?"

“What it even is?” - Max asked and everyone shut up for a minute before turning at her. Max wasn't the brightest or the most observant on mister Clarke’s classes, but that was completely okay.

"Metamorphosis is the most basic way to change your appearance by evolving. Butterflies do that - there are green, small caterpillars in the first place and after everything is done, only a butterfly remains. The completely changed their whole body structure to become something better. In Kafka’s novella, a human person changes into a big bug.” - He explained in a rushed, yet really calm tone. Max looked confused for a minute but then nodded as the two dots connected.

“And it seems to me that the Demogorgon could possibly use metamorphosis." - Dustin finished with a small smile. This was terrifying, yes, but fascinating at the time. Just as with Dart. Once again, you watched that child's face in awe; how could someone so young possibly be so smart? What were the odds? He was basically the opposite of Steve sitting by your side.

“So, you're trying to tell that the Demogorgon could be a pupe at some point to evolve?” - Mike asked in a really ironic tone, looking at Dustin. - “Come on.”

“Unfortunately, my friend, not necessarily. Do you remember Mystique in Uncanny X-Men number 170?” - He asked him. - “Mystique is that blue-ish girl?” - Max peeped from the other side of the room. She loved princess Diana as Wonder Woman, but of course, she knew Marvel heroines as well.

“Exactly that one. She is shifting her visual appearance to look like other people. The skillset she possesses is named...” - “Metamorphosis.” - You finished. - “And think about this, guys. If the Demorgogon evolved the ability to metamorphose itself, it could most likely look like an old, weird lady.”

“Exactly. She was hella weird, but you would describe her as strange and let her be.” - Steve nodded at Dustin, clearly being proud of him. 

“But how it could copy her appearance? Is that even possible? Because the Demogorgon doesn't exactly have the eyes to like... Scan her look.” - Nancy stood up and poured herself a glass of ice-cold water. This was too much to take in. Just way too much. She would even accept some Vodka at that point.

For a moment, there was silence until Robin stood up and looked at everyone as if they were complete idiots even if she was fully silent until that very moment. 

“You didn't hear what Steve and Hopper repeated almost five times?” - She looked at everyone and clapped loudly. - “It was feeding on her corpse the whole time. What if it wasn't hungry?” 

“You mean that it copied the lady’s DNA structure and shifted directly to look like her? That is insane, even for a sci-fi movie.” - Mike stood as well. Almost everyone was standing on their feet like if it was helping them think. 

“We have a shape-shifting Demogorgon and you say that copying her DNA after it ate her flesh is too crazy to be happening, you dingus?” - Steve asked Mike ironically. - “I am not a dingus, but this is just crazy.” - Mike yelled back and that was where Max’s boyfriend got involved. - “It was always crazy, Mikey. Do you still remember the time your girlfriend had some telepathic abilities? That is just reality!” 

“Okay, children!” - You stood up and yelled over them, looking at everyone with a furrow. - “Now sit your asses down and let’s just establish that we have a shape-shifting Demogorgon that eats meat so it knows the structure of DNA of what it is changing into running around Hawkins. Over. That is not everything.” - You spoke in a firm voice. From a moment to moment, everyone could see that you and Jim were actually related. Your, normally smiling and gentle, face turned into the face of Satan as you watched everyone down. Without further ado, everyone shut up and sat down, Max’s boyfriend and Dustin changed place in holding the phone again. 

“Will you let me continue or anyone has anything to say?” - You stood in the head of the table so everyone could be looking at you.

“You are looking better. The coffee really helped, nice to see.” - Dustin smiled at you happily and you just exhaled voice, being almost fed up with that chaotical group calling each other names. How any of them could survive the first Demogorgon was more and more mysterious to you with each passing moment.

“I meant if you had something meaningful to add to the subject.” - You asked in a cold tone and Dustin’s smile just went wilder. For a moment, there was complete silence in the room, so you started to speak again. - “Alright then, let’s move on. We saw the Demogorgon, but its primary goal wasn't to kill me.” 

“How do you know?” - Robin asked, looking at you.

“Because I am standing in front of you on my own feet, speaking with you. There was a delay between it caught my forearm and Steve shooting at it. It had enough time to bite my head off and yet, it didn't.” - You sat back between Steve and Nancy, everyone still watching you. - “It showed me... Something. This is crazy, but it weirdly communicated with me.” 

“It was showing Hopper to you?” - Mike asked confusedly. You shook your head. 

“It did, at least... I think. It was just a small moment. But it showed me something else. This is going to sound so stupid, but I think that it tried to... Warn me.” - You looked at everyone. 

“Will asks about what.” - Dustin asked and you looked at him.

“Okay, so it caught my forearm and when I thought it is going to kill me, I felt so sold that I opened my eyes. I don't know how it did it, but we were in a really cold biome full of snow and ice, some mountains possibly, in the woods, looking at a military camp hidden under the ground. But it wasn't the Demogorgon, as you call it, holding my hand. I think that it was the... How you call it? The Shadow Monster?” - You looked at the others. Even Steve was confused at that moment, he didn't know that any of that happened. 

“The Mind Flayer was showing you a military camp? Could it be in Alaska, possibly?” - Nancy asked and sipped on her water. You got quiet for a small amount of time and then shook your head. - “No. I am ninety percent sure of that. I would recognize the uniforms and technology. This wasn't in America.” 

“And what happened next?” - Mike asked with his mouth opened up, being completely caught up in your story. You looked at him and exhaled before continuing.

“It took me inside, we were basically going through the walls like Casper the Friendly Ghost, and we stopped in a hall full of cells. They were clearly holding many people in there. And when they opened it up, there was a man with long hair and beard, greasy, tired, beaten up. I think it was Jim because he looked at me. I saw his eyes and maybe... He saw me as well.” - You whispered, almost breaking into tears again. Steve was watching the profile of your face, smoothing you over your shoulder.

“You think that it was Hopper because he looked at you for a second? How can you even say that? You can’t be sure about that just like that.” - Max’s boyfriend asked and laughed unbelievably after that.

“A quick question.” - Nancy interrupted him. - “Would you recognize your mom if I gave you only a picture of her eyes?” 

“Probably yes, why?” - He answered with an unsure grimace. Nancy rose her eyebrows at him. - “Because Jim is like a father to Y/N. She knows him the whole life, so I think it is more than sure that she would recognize his gaze between many others. Now shut up already and let continue, Lucas.” - She shushed him down, turning at you again. You gave her an unsure smile, fidgeting your fingers. 

“Then it took me deeper. Into the base floor. There was a huge red tear in the wall shining with some... Red light or what. For a moment, it was completely silent, but just before men dressed in leather suits came into the room. They had MSGs probably, I didn't recognize the type of gun. After that, some huge machine was activated, sending a huge blue beam into the wall.” - At that moment, you were sobbing again, because of the horrific memories going through your head. 

At that point, everyone in the room was completely breathless, watching you. It was terrifying, surely it was, but everyone was curious about what happened next, so you could make sense out of it together.

“And Demogorgons started to crawl out of it. Not one... Or two. It was a pack of six or seven. And the men shot at them, making them crawl into some other door.” - You swoop away the tears. - “Whoever is doing that, they are clearly keeping the Demogorgons in their base and I think that they might be... Training them or trying to understand their species.” - You leaned your head into Steve’s shoulder subconsciously and nobody even commented that, since you were on the edge of falling into the shock or fainting at that moment again, blood dripping from your nose again.

“Will asks if you... Hear a voice inside your head. Or if you have some memories that don't belong to you, impulses, feelings you’ve never felt before... Anything.” - Dustin asked silently as Steve hugged you and brought you closer, warming you up by rubbing your shoulders. You were as cold as ice.

“No. I think that I am just scared, that's all. Or at least, I hadn't noticed anything.” - You answered, wiping the blood away again. 

“I don't think that Mind Flayer made a spy out of Hopper. Do you feel cold?” - Mike asked you suddenly. Everyone was slowly standing up, except Steve, slowly getting away. 

“What?” - You asked in confusion. 

“A simple yes or no question. Do you feel cold?” - Mike asked you again, slowly turning the heater up as if he was looking for something on you. 

“I am cold like fuck, Michael. I am not flayed.” - You told him unbelievably. - “She’s freezing.” - Steve nodded when he held your fingers in his hand. 

“The Mind Flayer likes it cold. We will just test the theory out, we will close the windows and heat the room, okay?” - Dustin asked you carefully. You turned your head to Nancy, who told you that you should do it. For the sake of the children believing what you’ve just said to them.

So they left you to fall asleep under three blankets after drinking a cup of completely hot tea, turning the heater on while they were talking to Will, Joyce, Johnathan, and Eleven on the other side of the phone line. After you slept for an hour without showing any signs of being flayed, they slowly started to go home with only one thought in their heads - there was a new type of Demogorgon in hiding in Hawkins. 

Intelligent and dangerous as ever. 

The Shapeshifter.