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alsjeblieft-zeg · 2 years

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246 of 2023

Do you ever judge people based on if they believe in God or not?

No, I don’t. There are many religions in this world.

Do you ever brush your teeth in the shower?

No, I need a sink for that.

Has your printer ever stopped working at the last minute and you had a paper due the next day? What did you do?

No, I always have more paper and ink just in case.

Are you sometimes scared to express your opinions in fear of what others might think?

No. I’m just myself.

Do you have a girl that is strictly a friend that isn’t related to you that you can go to?

Yeah, Nancy I guess.

Have you ever painted your nails on only one hand, forgetting about the other one or getting side-tracked?

I dopn’t even paint my nails.

Have you ever tried sucrets?

I don’t know what they are.

Would you date someone that smokes?

Well, my husband smokes and we’re married, so. I don’t like it, but at least he does it outside.

What about drinks?

On occasion is fine, but not constantly.

Have you ever gone to one of those parties where everyone is falling around drunk everywhere?

Yeah. No fun.

Are you “the good guy”, or “the bad guy”, or somewhere in between?

In between, but more good than in my teens.

Do you ever erase the numbers off of surveys just because they annoy you?

No, I don’t erase anything. No point in it.

Person you like shows up at your house: you…

It wouldn’t happen because it’s not a thing in my country.

Last person you talked on the phone with?

My physiotherapist, to bring back the appointment.

Do you think you will have the same best friend a year from now?

Even longer, I’m sure of it.

Do you have siblings over the age of twenty-one?

My sister is almost 28, but 21 is not a special age in Europe anyway.

Will tomorrow be better than today?

Let’s hope so.

What do you hear right now?

TV in the background.

What was the last thing to go into your mouth?

Food, probably.

Do you usually tell people when you’re mad at them?

Yeah, but they have to do something really bad.

Honestly, how is your heart lately?

Full of love.

Do you miss anyone?

Yeah, J. and M., but such is life.

Are you waiting for a phone call?

No, I’m not.

If an ex said they hated you, what would you say?

I wouldn’t expect him to say that.

What would you do if you found out your most recent ex was in a relationship?

I’d be happy for him.

What do you think when someone kisses you on your forehead?

It’s cute, but my husband is shorter than me.

What do you usually do right when you wake up?

Open my eyes, I think.

Are you looking forward to anything?

Yezah, psychiatrist appointment later on.

How late did you stay up last night?

Midnight, so I’m tired now.

Do you truly hate anyone?

No, I don’t hate people.

Would you ever get a tattoo?

I have two.

In the past forty-eight hours, have you hung out with a girl?

Not at all.

Were you happy when you woke up today?

More like relieved.

If someone liked you, would you want them to tell you?

Yeah, but I’m not sure.

Would you rather go back a week or go forward?

Last Monday I was in the hospital, here’s your answer.

Would you ever smile at a stranger?

We do it a lot in my country, and so do I.

Who was the last person to text you?

My husband.

What are you doing today?

Just done with cleaning, now doing this and preparing for this appointment.

Truthfully, is there someone you used to date that you miss?

I’d say Nielsje, but we’re still friends, so.

Have you ever gotten burnt by a cigarette?

Yeah, that’s painful.

Have you ever been so bored that you started drooling on yourself?

...what?

Do you brush your teeth right away when you wake up?

Nah, first I have to get up and go to the bathroom, probably just like everyone else. First I take my meds anyway, it’s the most important.

Do you have someone of the opposite sex you can tell everything to?

Yreah, my sister.

Want to get smashed tonight?

I don’t have time for bullshit.

What time are you getting up tomorrow?

6:00 because I go to work.

Are you happy with the choices you’ve made?

Yeah.

Think back to last June; were you single?

I was married already.

How did you feel when you woke up today?

Sleepy.

Have you ever made someone laugh when they were crying?

Yeah, my sister. I just tried to cheer her up, and it worked.

Describe how you feel right now.

A bit sleepy, a bit tired, but kinda satisfied.

Would you date someone three years older than you?

Why not? Age doesn’t matter, unless you’re a minor. I’m in my 30s anyway.

Do you prefer to shower at night or in the morning?

Both.

Do you think more about the past, present, or future?

Present, I guess.

Are you okay with the life you live?

I wish I was healthy, otherwise yes.

Could you handle living with the last person you texted?

We already live together.

Was the last book you read for fun, or was it for some type of assignment?

Definitely for fun.

Have you accomplished any goals you set for yourself this year so far?

The year has barely started.

If you could go forward in time and see your life 5 years from now, what would you hope to see?

Happiness and better health.

Are there still movie rental stores where you live or have they all gone out of business?

I don’t think there are any.

What was the last thing to annoy you or make you upset?

My husband, but it was brief.

Have you ever been ditched by someone only to find them out and about with someone else?

No, I was never that much into dating.

How old were you when you had your wisdom teeth removed?

I’ve never had them removed.

What is the last song you sang out loud?

Probably Onderweg by Abel, I love this song.

Where was the last job application you filled out sent to?

The company I work in now, 9 years ago.

Have you ever been fired from a job?

Yeah, but not really.

What do people tell you your voice sounds like?

Like a teenager whose voice still changes. Not funny at all.

What financial class are you?

Upper working class and proud of it.

What poster is hanging closest to you?

We don’t have posters in our house.

What time did you go to bed last night?

Midnight, I feel like I answered it already.

Do you watch any reality shows?

Not on regular basis, but if I happen to watch one, it’s just for laugh.

Are you more comfortable with men or women?

Men, possibly because I’m one of them. But many women are really cool, too.

Do you think you’re fat?

Yeah, even though I’m close to underweight. It’s still too much.

Have you ever borrowed money from someone and never repaid them?

No, I’d never do that. I don’t like having debts anyway.

Do you have a pet cat?

Even two.

What is worse: physical or emotional pain?

Both are awful.

How is your hair?

Short and messy.

How long does it take you to fall asleep at night?

Too long, I need to fix it.

How many people have you had strong feelings for in the year of 2012?

None.

What are you doing for your next birthday?

Nothing special, it’s a day like every other day.

Would you go on a date with someone right now if they asked?

No. I don’t date around, and I didn’t even before marriage.

Do you believe that if you want something bad enough, you’ll get it?

I always do, so yeah.

Last movie you watched?

I don’t watch movies, but yesterday I watched Twilight for lolz. What a drama XD

Who were you with?

My husband.

Who came over last?

The postman. I had to close the door so our cats wouldn’t escape.

Have you ever wanted to be a ballet dancer?

No, never.

Does your family keep tons of leftovers in the fridge?

No, we either eat everything or give leftovers to somewhere else.

Favourite FRIENDS character? That is, if you like it.

Rachel and Monica.

Skullcandy headphones, yay or nay?

Never had them, so no opinion.

Are you thinking of getting another piercing? Where?

Probably in my right ear, if ever.

Do you love when people remember little things about you?

Yeah, it’s very nice.

Do you ‘bless’ strangers when they sneeze?

I do, but they not always respond XD

How many phones have you gone through?

Too many to count, I got my first phone at the age of 15. I’m almost 33 now.

Have you always lived in the house you currently reside in?

No, I haven’t even lived in this city before.

Do you think your future will be a good one?

Hopefully so.

#survey #q&a survey #random survey

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rindecision · 2 years

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Chapter 6: Zoomer - The Devil of Hawkins Fanfiction

Chapter 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |

Eddie took the time to set up Hopper's cabin as a home base. He rearranged the furniture and looked through the old boxes. There wasn't much of interest. It was mainly old files, pictures, and a large stash of board games. The batteries in his Walkman didn't last as long as he’d hoped, but having his guitar around meant that he was able to entertain himself at least a little. He played some of his favorites to the best of his memory. He didn't have his amp, so luckily it wasn't loud enough to attract anything.

Eddie continued to hear the distant voices of Hopper and others. Some of the voices were familiar, like Mike and Dustin. He heard Mike fairly often and had the misfortune of being in the bedroom when him and, who he assumed was El, were being lovey and kissing. He gagged and walked out of the room and took his nap to the couch instead. With people being on the other side, he took care not to interact with any gold shimmers he saw.

The cabin was out of the way even for the Upside Down, so he didn’t run into any of the demobeasts, he saw the occasional flock of bats in the distance, but that was it. He used the isolated area to get a feel for his new body. He watched the demobats fly and tried to mimic their wing movements. Eventually, he was able to sustain flight over long distances. He also found that he was able to use his wings for more than just flight. They were borderline prehensile, allowing him to grip onto objects. He’s used them before to help him climb, but now he could use them to pick up things, not gracefully, but successfully.

Against his better judgment, he sat on the floor in front of the couch, took the shoebox out of his backpack, and opened it. He felt a small sting in his chest as he pulled out the small tin he kept his ketamine in. It was the same Sucrets Lozenge tin from that night. He gripped it tightly, as he relived flashes from Chrissy's death. He took a shuddered breath and flipped open the lid to the case. Inside were a few preportioned doses wrapped in cigarette paper. He closed the tin and rested his head back onto the couch cushion. "It's a dumb idea." He tried to convince himself against it. With a clench of his face, he flipped the tin back open and took out one of the small, hand-folded pouches. He opened it to reveal a small pile of off white powder. Folding the paper in half, he created a trench. "Here's to you, Chrissy." He tipped his head back and with a deep huff poured the powder into his nose. After he inhaled it all, he stretched his face and rubbed his nostril to reduce the burn in his sinuses. "Now we wait," he sniffed.

He stood and walked into the bedroom, laying down on the small bed. With a few more sniffs, he settled down comfortably. Eddie wasn't unfamiliar with the effects of Special-K, so he knew what to expect. He watched the vines on the ceiling slither around, waiting for the effects to kick in. He let his mind wander to his brief time with Chrissy. She was much nicer than he’d expected. He thought back to the talent show where they hung out backstage waiting for their turns. She was sweet back then too. Maybe if I wasn’t such a freak, I could have had a thing for her. His lips began to quiver as the images of her bones breaking invaded the pleasant memories. The sounds, they were so loud.

Eddie heaved a sigh as thinking about anything in particular got increasingly hard. The vines on the ceiling began to wiggle as his eyes started to play tricks on him. He smiled, "you would have loved this, Chrissy," he said quietly. He put his hands out in front of his face as they elongated like pulling a rubber band. The ceiling looked like it had moved meters higher. He sat up, giving him a small head rush. With a shake of his head, he took out his wings and laid back down. He moved them, so they were wrapping over his arms and out straight in front of him. Those too elongated, and he felt like he was standing at the end of a long fleshy tunnel. He curled the end of the wings toward each other and closed them together like a mouth. After repeating the motion a few times, he snorted in amusement. His wings felt heavy, so he let them fall, one was propped against the wall, the other draped over the edge of the bed and onto the floor. Eddie closed his eyes and started filling his cheeks with air and releasing them with a puff, enjoying the strange sensation of them being numb. He was unable to stop himself from giggling at it and turned a puff into a raspberry.

---

Lucas hugged Will goodbye after he had stopped by to see Max. When Will was out of sight Lucas turned back to look sorrowfully at Max laying in the hospital bed. He sat himself in the chair near her bedside and picked up the book he was currently reading to her. He opened to where he left off in ‘The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle’. With a sad breath he started to read, but was cut off when he heard his name.

“Hey, Lucas.” It was a voice he’d gotten use to over the last week or so. Max’s mother.

“Hi Susan.” He closed the book and set it back on the table. He stood and gave her a hug.

She stepped back and wrapped herself tighter in her cardigan, but it was not for warmth. Her��gaze wandered to Max, she closed her eyes, obviously trying to stop herself from crying. After a swallow and a deep breath, she looked back at Lucas. “Want to grab some food before you leave?” She tilted her head to the door.

Lucas looked back at Max and nodded. “Yeah.” He turned to Susan with a sad attempt at a smile.

It had almost become routine for Lucas to have a meal with Max’s mother before he went home. It was about the only time that there was no one in the room with Max. Lucas would stay there all day while Susan was at work, and she would be there all night. He’d occasionally bring her breakfast on his way, usually made by his mother, and they’d share a meal at the hospital nearly every night.

“I can’t express how much it means to me that you spend the day with her.” Susan said as they set with their trays down at a small corner table. It was a statement he’d heard many times.

“I do it because I want to.” He reassured as he unwrapped the foil around his sandwich.

“I know, and that makes it mean so much more.” She looked at him with a genuine, yet very tired smile. “Not having to worry about her while I’m at work is a huge relief.” She started to eat, her tray barely filled as usual. A lack of appetite isn’t abnormal in her situation, but it still worried Lucas. He could swear she’d gotten thinner. “I can see why Max likes you so much.” She gave the suggestion of a laugh.

Lucas looked up at her, surprised, and shaken from his thoughts.

“You know, before Billy died.” She paused for a breath. “She talked about you a lot.”

Lucas almost choked on his bite. “Really?”

She gave a small genuine laugh, a single tear sliding down her cheek. “Yeah. She always made sure it was just the two of us, but then she’d tell me about you and your friends.” She shook her head. “I was worried at first when she kept calling you ‘stalker’.”

Lucas laughed, recalling Max’s voice.

“But, as she told me more,” She continued, “her face would light up, and especially after I met you myself I knew she had good taste.” She sighed and looked at the wall above Lucas’ head. “I’m just glad it’s better than her mother’s.” She scratched at her hairline and turned her attention back to her food.

Lucas looked at her with concern. “I think I’d consider that more like bad luck than bad taste.”

She chuckled weakly. “You’re a good kid, Lucas. Which is why when she actually dumped you after,” she paused, searching for the words, “the mall fire. I knew something was genuinely wrong.” She set her silverware down and looked at the table. “I just didn’t know how to reach her. She closed herself off so tightly.”

“I feel the same.” Lucas shrugged. “I can’t help but feel like if I was there for her more, maybe this wouldn’t have happened.”

“You were there for her,” She looked at him. “It’s the only reason she’s alive right now. If you hadn’t found her,” She paused to swallow her fear. “I don’t even want to think about it.”

Lucas closed his eyes in an attempt to hold back the flashbacks, the anger, the fear, the sadness, all of it.

---

After a refreshing post-ketamine nap, Eddie stood and stretched. He felt himself getting hungry, and Hopper’s cabin didn’t have much for food storage, he already finished off the weird military meals he'd found, so Eddie needed to get to town or find a gate. With how far out he was, he knew it wasn’t going to be easy getting back. He flew at first, it got him a good way, but he eventually wore out. “Luckily, flying doesn’t affect my legs.” He said as his feet touched the ground. He stretched his wings before folding them back in and walking. He made his way to a main road and kept an eye out for bikes or anything that could speed up his travels. Boredom got the best of him, and he started running. Something felt off as he ran, the wind was too strong and he was covering far too much ground. He stopped to look down at his hands and his surroundings. He had traveled for maybe two seconds, but was meters from his starting point. “What?”

He had to do a better test. He looked into the horizon, there was a fallen tree on the side of the road. With that as his target, he pushed himself into a run, and before he knew it, he was struggling to stop himself as he skidded past the log. Eddie shook his head, laughing at himself in disbelief. He shrugged and started running down the road towards town. A walk that should have taken him hours, took him less than one. When he arrived in town, he put his hands on his knees, completely out of breath. “Holy shit, that was awesome.” He said to himself as he stood up, catching his breath.

Not too far in front of him was a grocery store. Inside, he was met with the foul smell of rotting produce. If there were flies in the Upside Down, this place would be swarming. The sound of clattering startled him as a demodog came running around the corner. A couple more were behind it, Eddie put up his hands in a feeble attempt to block. “Whoa!” He braced himself for impact, but quickly realized there wasn’t one. When he relaxed and looked around, the three dogs were standing together in front of him. staring, or they would be if they had eyes.

“Uh…” Eddie looked down at them, confused and scared. He didn’t want to make any sudden movements. For the most part he'd been ignored by the inhabitants, but he had no idea what these beasts were doing. He started walking backwards, the dogs followed. “Wait.” He held his hands back up. The dogs sat. “What!?” Eddie looked at them in awe. “Did you just listen to me?” They sat there unmoving. “Go.” He pointed to the door and they ran out. “What the hell was that?” Eddie’s voice cracked as he looked at the broken glass door they just ran out of.

---A couple days later---

“-stin, Mike, Will, anyone, do you copy, over?” Lucas’ voice crackled over the radio. “I repeat, do you copy, over?”

Mike ran over to the radio on the basement couch. “This is Mike, over.”

“They said Zoomer is showing improvement!” Lucas said, sounding choked up. “Over.”

“Holy shit, that’s great!” Mike exclaimed.

“Seriously?!” Dustin’s voice chimed in.

“Yeah, they still don’t know when she’ll wake up, but they have a lot more hope now. The nurse said her muscles were responding to touch. Over.”

“We have to tell E- Diana!” Mike exclaimed.

“You guys go ahead, I want to be next to her when she wakes up, over.”

“10-4 buddy, Dustin, try to get in contact with whoever you can and meet me and Nancy at Castle Byers, over”

“Roger that! Over.” Dustin confirmed.

Mike collapsed the antenna on the radio and ran up the basement stairs, calling for Nancy. He nearly ran into his mom on his way to the second floor stairs. “Sorry, mom, it’s an emergency.”

“What’s going on?” She called up after him. When she didn't get a response, she shook her head and continued into the kitchen.

“Nancy!” He called, swinging open her door.

“Jesus, do you know how to knock.” She yelled at him as she tried to quickly slip her shirt on.

“Gross, sorry.” He slammed the door shut.

Nancy groaned and opened the door. “What?” She sounded annoyed as she threw her purse over her shoulder and headed toward the stairs.

“It’s Max.” Mike called quickly after her.

Nancy paused before taking the first step and turned to face Mike.

“What about Max?” She asked.

“I’ll tell you on the way, but you have to take me to Hop- Castle Byers.”

She looked at her watch and pursed her lips. “Okay, fine, but I’m only dropping you off.”

“Thanks!” He smiled gleefully and ran past her, down the stairs and straight out the door.

“Mom,” Nancy called as she followed Mike. “I’m taking Mike to see Will, I’ll grab him on my way home.”

“Okay, honey, good luck.”

“Thanks.” She smiled at her mom before heading out to the car.

She was met with Mike honking the car horn at her from the passenger seat as soon as she left the door. “Come on!” He called, hanging his head out the window.

“Chill out!” She said getting into the car. She started it and began backing up. “Care to explain? What’s up with Max?”

“The doctors think she might wake up soon.” Mike said quickly.

“Then why am I taking you to Castle Byers, why not the hospital?”

“You know they won’t let us see her.”

She nodded, recalling how hard it was for her to see Ms. Driscoll, “So you’re going to use Diana to try to see her?”

“Exactly!”

“Alright.” she shrugged

“Why are you all dressed up anyway?”

She gave him a quick side glance. “Well, if you paid any attention at dinner, you would know I have an interview for the local paper today.”

“Didn’t you already get fired from there?”

She shot him a stern look. “That was different, and I was only an intern. If I gave up so easily, I wouldn’t make a very good journalist now, would I?”

“I suppose.” Mike rolled his eyes. “Is Jonathan going to be there too?” He made kissing noises at her.

“No, they only plan to stay here until we deal with this whole Vecna thing, so he’s not worried about jobs and such.”

“I was hoping they’d stay.” Mike looked out the window.

“Do you blame them, I mean, look at this place.” She gestured to the destroyed town. “Plus I’m sure this place holds a lot of bad memories for them, I completely understand them wanting to get away. I’m honestly surprised they’re even staying to help.”

“We need El here, that’s why!” He nearly shouted.

Nancy shot him a look of warning.

“Right, sorry.” Mike said, looking away in shame.

She sighed. “Even if they didn’t stay, she’s already proven that she doesn’t need to be here to help us.”

“I know, but,” Mike pursed his lips and looked outside, “I need her.” He said weakly, dropping his head on the window pane.

“Hey, you aren’t the only one that will lose someone when they move back.” She pushed him gently on the shoulder.

“At least mine doesn’t lie to me.”

“That’s not fair!” Nancy said firmly. “Look, I know he’s keeping something from me, but I’m sure he has his reasons and he’ll tell me when he’s ready, I trust him. Plus, didn’t you say that El was lying to you this whole time about being bullied and whatnot?”

“That’s different.”

“How?”

Mike sighed and continued to stare blankly out the window. Nancy rolled her eyes.

---

“Hello?” Steve groggily answered the phone.

“Hey!” Dustin called from the other side.

“What do you want?” Steve groaned through a yawn.

“I need you to come get me and take me to Castle Byers.”

“What’s going on?”

“It’s about Zoomer.” Dustin added urgently.

“Max? What about her?”

“Jesus, just come get me!” He hung up the phone.

Steve looked at the receiver. “What did I do?” He rolled his eyes as he set it back on the hook. “Prick, he acts like I don’t have better things to do with my time than babysit his ass.” He got dressed and met Dustin at his house.

“Where’s Robin?” Dustin asked as he climbed in back.

“You didn’t say anything about Robin.” Steve turned to look at him.

“Did I not stress the importance of this.”

“Actually, no, you didn’t.” Steve turned back around and started the car.

“It was in my tone!”

“You’re always dramatic, plus Robin is probably at the gym hitting on Vic-” Steve stopped himself before he spilled Robin’s secret. “She’s busy, and I doubt she’ll want to play your little game.”

“It’s not a game, I’m serious! And Robin will want to know too.”

“Fine, I’ll run by, and you can convince her.” Steve turned the car around and started driving to the high school.

“And did you say she was hitting on someone?” Dustin pried.

Shit. “Yeah… Some guy named... Vic-tor.”

“You’re missing your chance, man!” Dustin hit Steve’s shoulder.

“Yeah, I guess.” Steve said uninterested.

“She’s perfect for you, Steve. You've gotta win her back.”

“I’ll pass on that, thanks.”

“Come on.”

“No, you come on.” Steve snapped, and Dustin froze. “I’m not interested in Robin, and she’s not interested in me, okay.” He punctuated the statement with a wave of his hand.

“Okay, sorry.” Dustin relaxed a little.

“We’re just friends.” Steve clarified calmly.

“Alright.” Dustin squeaked with a nod.

Steve sighed. “Sorry for snapping.”

“It’s cool, I was obviously pushing a boundary.”

Steve raised his fist within range of Dustin. “We cool?”

Dustin smiled and lightly tapped his own fist against Steve’s “Yeah, we’re cool.”

Steve pulled up to the crowded High School parking lot. “Alright, go try to get her.”

Dustin got out of the car and ran toward the building.

“Be quick!” He called after Dustin.

Dustin ran into the building and scanned the room, he saw her walking next to another volunteer. “Robin!” He called as he hurried over to her.

She looked over and furrowed her brow. “Dustin? What are you doing here?”

“It’s Zoomer.”

“Max? Is she okay?” Robin set down the tray of food she was carrying.

“Seriously, both of you are awful.” Dustin shook his head. “Just come with me, Steve is waiting outside.”

“I’m sorry, I gotta go.” She turned to Vickie with an apologetic expression.

“No worries, this seems important. Go.” Vickie said with a concerned expression.

“Thank you,” Robin said genuinely. “I’ll make it up to you.”

“No need, just go.” Vickie chuckled.

Robin started to follow Dustin. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Vickie.”

Vickie laughed, waved, then picked up Robin’s tray.

Vick-ie? Dustin thought for a second. Must be a coincidence. He shook it off his mind and hurried Robin to the car.

After they closed the doors, Steve set off toward Hopper’s cabin. “Isn’t the hospital the other direction?” Robin asked, putting on her seat belt.

“Yeah, but we’re not going there.” Steve clarified.

“Is anyone going to tell me what’s wrong with Max?” Robin stressed.

“Nothing, that’s the point. It’s good news, but they only let two people in to see her at once.”

Robins eyes lit up with realization. “So we’re using El to check in on her.” She stated.

“Jesus, you guys are going to get us killed.” Dustin said annoyed. “I hope your car isn’t bugged.”

“Why would my car be bugged?” Steve gestured at the dashboard.

“Oh, I dunno,” Dustin said sarcastically, “maybe because in the last few years we have pissed off our local government, a top secret agency, and let’s not forget the goddamn Russians.”

“Okay fine, but I think I’d notice if my car was bugged.” Steve confidently reassured.

“And how would you tell?” Dustin pressed.

“Yeah.” Robin chuckled.

“Wouldn’t there be like, a blinking light or something?”

“Holy shit, your stupidity surpasses no bounds, does it?” Dustin exclaimed.

Steve raised a hand in an offended shrug of confusion.

Robin stifled a laugh.

“What?” Steve strained.

“Do you really think they’d make it so obvious?” Robin laughed.

“Okay, so, what? Do we just use your stupid code names for everything?” Steve shook his head.

“If it’ll keep us safer, then yes.”

“He’s got a point.” Robin smirked.

“Fine, so run me through the codes again.” Steve requested.

“Wow.” Dustin put his hand on his head.

“What now? How can I know them if you don’t tell me?”

“I can’t tell you here! We’ll go over it again at Castle Byers.”

“Fine, whatever.”

Dustin sighed with exasperation and decided to change the subject. “Hey Robin.”

“Yeah?” She responded.

“Steve was telling me you liked someone.”

Robin’s face dropped, and she looked at Steve with horror on her face. She mouthed ‘what?’ at him.

“Yeah,” Steve started awkwardly. “I was telling him you liked this guy named Victor.”

“Oh yeah, Vic-tor.” She hissed the named at Steve with a threatening look. “I believe I told you that in confidence.”

“It just kind of came out, sorry.” He continued to keep his eyes on the road, shame on his face.

“Whatever.” Robin sighed and turned to look at Dustin with an annoyed smile. “Dustin, think you can do a better job of keeping this to yourself?”

“Sure, but why keep it a secret?”

“I don’t really want word to get around yet.”

“Sure.” He gave her a big smile.

“Thanks.” She turned back around and gave Steve another threatening glance.

Steve shrugged as he turned onto the hidden dirt road. Hopper had put the security system back up, so they had to park about a five-minute walk away and continue on foot. Robin asked Dustin to go ahead, so she could talk to Steve in private. He smirked, and said sure, reminding them not to be too close to the car when they talk about sensitive things. They let Dustin take about a minute lead before following out of earshot.

“What the hell, Steve?” Robin started.

“I’m sorry, okay. I was tired, confused, and it just kind of slipped out.”

She sighed. “You sure he didn’t notice?”

“Nah, I never said her full name, all that came out was Vic, so I altered it to Victor.”

She had a worried expression.

“What?” Steve put a hand on her back.

“When we left, I called out to Vickie. Dustin is a smart kid, he’ll probably put two and two together eventually.”

“Even if he does, he won’t think less of you.”

“How do you know?” She stopped and turned to him with a serious expression. “If you’re so confident, then why don’t you tell him about your boyfriend.”

Steve winced at the word and looked at her, shocked. “First of all, he’s not my boyfriend, and I could barely tell you, let alone that brat.”

“Exactly.” She continued walking, “just because I’ve known my sexuality longer than you, doesn’t mean I’m any more comfortable with people knowing. If you recall, I had to be drugged and met with your confession for me to tell you. And I was still terrified you were going to hate me. While I’m glad you don’t, if I had it my way, you would still be unaware.”

“Sorry.” Steve stated sincerely.

Robin sighed. “It’s fine, you covered your ass the best you could. Not that I’d do much better in that situation. Hell, I’d probably spill the name and gender before I realized what was spewing from this fountain I call a mouth.”

Steve laughed.

“So, how are things going with him, anyway?”

Steve took a deep breath. “I haven’t seen or heard anything from him since the night of the funeral.”

“That was over a week ago.” Robin said with shock and concern in her voice.

“Yeah, I know.” Steve looked down at the ground, trying to avoid Robin’s face and keeping an eye out for trip wires.

“You don’t-” Robin started. “You don’t think he could have used you, do you?” She regretted those words as soon as they left her lips.

Steve stopped and looked straight ahead, the cabin almost in sight. That was something he never even considered. Was Eddie the type to do that? And even if Eddie wasn’t, he isn’t entirely himself anymore. “I-” He sighed, a small pit forming in his stomach. “I don’t think so.”

“Look, I don’t know this guy, so I could be wrong, in fact I’m sure I’m wrong.” She said quickly, trying to take back her words.

“He said he’d be back, but that he didn’t know when he’d be able to.”

“Back from where”

“The u-” Steve caught himself before saying something else he’d regret. “I can’t say.” He started walking again.

“This guy has a lot of secrets, doesn’t he?” Robin followed.

Steve shook his head. “Just one, but it encompasses a lot.”

“Well, I hope he was sincere when he said he’d return. It seems to be eating at you.”

Steve sighed heavy enough to droop his shoulders. “He sounded sincere.”

“That’s good, at least.” Robin rubbed Steve’s back. “I’m sure he’ll be back.” Her tone betrayed her uncertainty.

“Yeah.” Steve sighed again as they reached the cabin.

“Finally!” Dustin said, standing at the front door.

“Why didn’t you go in?” Steve asked as they walked up.

“Do you know the secret knock?” Dustin asked with a roll of his eyes.

“Seriously, you need to work on your attitude.” Steve said as he and Robin walked up the steps onto the porch.

Dustin raised an eyebrow and looked at them as he irregularly knocked on the door. The locks on the back of the door clicked, and it cracked open an inch. Dustin pushed the door open, and they entered the small cabin.

“There you guys are!” Mike stood eagerly waving them over. In front of him, El was sitting cross legged on the floor, a strip of cloth in her hand, and a TV with static on it in front of her. Will sat next to Mike. Jonathan, Joyce, and Hopper were standing behind them.

“We almost started without you.” Will said as Dustin sat next to him, filling the small couch. Steve and Robin stood beside Jonathan.

Mike touched El’s shoulder. “Go ahead.”

She nodded and put on the blindfold. The lights flickered as she fell into her trance and tried to find Max’s wavelength. With her checking in on Max almost daily, she was able to find it quickly. She wandered through the void until in the distance she saw Max’s hospital bed, Lucas sitting next to her, reading a book. It had to be at least the third book he’s read so far. El walked up to them. She placed a hand on Max’s and tried to enter her mind. Max was standing amidst the black void. El’s eyes lit up as she ran up to her. Max’s eyes were closed as she stood there motionless. El tried to interact with her, but there was no response. El smiled and let the vision fade away as she took off the blindfold.

“Anything?” Mike handed her a tissue.

She wiped the blood from her nose and smiled at Mike and the others, a few tears falling. “I saw her.” Mike slid off the couch and hugged her.

“Was she doing anything?” Will asked.

“No,” she shook her head, “but she was there.” She buried her face in Mike’s neck.

Robin put her hands over her mouth in joy, Steve placed his on the side of his head and looked at the ceiling, “oh my god.” He said in relief.

Will and Dustin were laughing in amazement and joined in, hugging El and Mike. Joyce hugged Hopper and Jonathan shook his head in disbelief.

“You did it.” Mike pulled away from the hug, the others did as well. He held El’s shoulders. “You did it.” He repeated, smiling as he gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. “You’re amazing.”

“Who wants to tell him?” Dustin held his radio.

“I’ll do it.” El offered.

Dustin held it out to her. “Don’t forget the code.”

She laughed. “Okay.”

She thought carefully about every word and tried to say them clearly and slowly. “Rocket. Come. In. R- Rocket. This. Is. Diana. Over.”

Dustin gave her two thumbs up, and she chuckled.

“This is Rocket, 10-65, over.”

El looked up at Dustin and the others, confused. “Ten six five?” She asked before continuing.

“It means he’s waiting for the message.” Mike clarified.

“Oh, okay.” She said with a nod and pressed the button on the radio. “Sleeper. Got. Eyes. On. The. Zoomer. Over.”

“10-4” Lucas’ voice cracked. “Over.”

El handed the radio back to Dustin. “Does that mean he got it?”

Dustin nodded.

“Yeah, 10-4 means message received.” Mike put a hand on her shoulder.

“We can tell him the details in person, but he at least knows there was progress.” Will smiled at her.

“So, can someone please explain the codes to me?” Steve asked.

“Oh my god” Dustin waved Steve over, as he grabbed a notepad and pen that were sitting on the coffee table. He sat on the floor, Steve and Robin crouching on either side of him. “Now, you don’t need to use it for everything, but you absolutely need to if you are saying sensitive information. Any mention of El or Max is automatically sensitive information, so make sure you call them Diana and Zoomer respectively.”

“I get El, but why Max?” Steve asked.

“She was the only survivor of those attacks, she is going to be a major focus for authorities, so they can find more ways to pin this on Eddie and the rest of Hellfire.” Dustin explained, Steve nodded. “The Upside Down, and this place, are also highly sensitive. Call the Upside Down, Mordor, and this cabin, Castle Byers.”

“I still don’t know what Mordor is.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Dustin continued to say and write down the code names for everyone involved, he ignored Steve’s inquiries for explanations on each one.

---

Eddie was lying on the couch tuning his guitar when the sound of Steve’s voice drifted through the air. He shot upright, “Steve?” he said quietly. He set his guitar to the side and stood, his willpower to stay away from him rapidly faded. He told himself he wouldn’t return to Steve until he understood himself better, which he had managed, but he felt there was a lot more to learn. Eddie bounced on his heels, trying to convince himself not to go. He clenched his fists and lips tightly, “fuck it!”

---

After Dustin had listed all of them, he handed the paper to Steve and Robin. “Remember these and burn that before you leave today.”

Steve took it and looked at it briefly. “Why write them down if you’re just going to destroy it?” Steve moved the page to look at Dustin with a confused expression, holding it loosely in his hand.

“It’s a visual aid,” Dustin stated. “That way you can commit it to memory, but we can’t have anyone else getting a hold of that, so burn it or something, and it doesn’t leave this cabin.” He stressed.

Robin snatched the paper out of Steve’s loose grip. “Hey.” He called after her as she ran over to the small dining table. She sat at one of the seats and spread the page out on the surface. Steve sat opposite her and looked at the page.

‘El - Diana

El infiltrating a mind - Sleeper

Max - Zoomer

Upside Down - Mordor

Hopper’s cabin - Castle Byers

Mike - Paladin

Lucas - Rocket

Will - Wiseman

Jonathan - Snapshot

Nancy - The Reporter

Argyle - High Flier

Joyce - Detective

Hopper - Rambo

Steve - Ozzy

Robin - Puzzle Master

Erica - Lady Applejack

Murray - Bald Eagle’

“Is all of this really necessary?” Steve asked, gesturing to the list.

“Yes!” Mike and Dustin said together firmly.

“Jeez, fine.”

“Hey,” Robin said, pointing to the page. “You aren’t on here.” She looked at Dustin.

Mike snorted, “Go ahead Dustin.” he urged.

Dustin groaned as he stood, picking up the pen. He snatched the paper and messily wrote at the bottom of the list:

‘Suzie - Moonchild

‘Dustin - Bastion’

“Suzie gets a name too?” Steve scoffed.

“She helped us save the world twice, so yeah, she gets one too.” Dustin defended.

“I think it’s cute,” Robin said, turning the paper, so she could read it better. “Speaking of cute, that’s adorable.”

“Mike and Will made me,” Dustin said, sinking back into the couch.

“I think it fits.” Robin continued.

Steve took the list back. “I don’t get it. Honestly, I only get like, maybe... half of these names.”

“Do you need to understand them to use them?” Dustin pressed defensively.

“No, but I am curious why you don’t want us to know yours.” Steve teased, relishing the rare sight of Dusting getting kicked off his high horse.

Robin started humming the tune to ‘Never Ending Story’.

“No,” Dustin spun around and gripped the back of the couch. “Robin, please.”

Mike and Will joined in singing the lyrics.

“Guys!”

Joyce, Hopper, and Jonathan laughed quietly.

“Oh,” Steve said, as he realized the joke. Mike, WIll, and Robin stopped singing. “Well, that explains Bastion, but why Moonchild?”

“It’s what Bastion calls The Child-like Empress at the end,” Robin said plainly.

“That’s what he says? I never caught that.”

“You wouldn’t, you were always too busy looking at the skirts.” Robin laughed.

“Hey, I was just helping out the customers.” Steve defended.

“Sure,” Robin smirked, crumpling the paper.

“Would you rather I ignored them?”

Robin laughed and tossed the paper ball to Dustin. “Now who’s getting defensive?”

“Hey, children” Joyce called out their bickering. “While we have everyone here, how about we celebrate the good news?” Joyce walked over to the small kitchen and took out some soda and beers from the fridge.

She was met with loud approval. After she brought the drinks to the table, she asked Jonathan to run and grab some supplies from the store. They spent the day playing what board games remained after the Mind Flayer attack. A few hours later, Nancy arrived to get Mike, but decided to stay with the rest after hearing the news. Steve did his best to ignore her and Jonathan’s passive affection. Everyone stayed until the sun was almost setting. Nancy and Mike were the first to leave, they took Dustin and Will for a sleepover at their house. They’d contacted Lucas, and he planned to meet them there. Unable to convince her otherwise, Erica decided she was going to join them as well.

“Robin, you about ready?” Steve asked. “I’m getting pretty tired.”

Robin looked up at him, a monopoly piece in her hand. “Actually, I was hoping to hang out a bit longer.”

“Don’t worry, I got her,” Jonathan added.

“Thanks, man,” Steve stretched and walked toward the door. “Later!” He called to the room, receiving various farewells.

Being in the car alone let his mind wander onto Robin’s words, ‘he used you,’ Steve sighed and decided he needed to think a bit before heading home, so he took a back route to lengthen his drive. He rolled his windows down for the fresh night air. Was I ever going to see Eddie again? Did he actually ditch me? It had been over a week. And if he did show up, what would I even say? He still hadn’t figured out what he wanted from Eddie. He tried comparing it to past flings, and to his feelings for Nancy, but it was unlike anything he'd felt before. It had an almost animalistic feel to it, close to a desperation. It wasn’t just lust, he knew what that felt like, and he at least thought he knew what love felt like with Nancy. He shook his mind clear and focused on driving.

A shadow darted across the road in front of his car, he slammed on his brakes, worried it was a deer or some other wildlife. When he stopped he looked around but couldn’t see any sign of an animal, assuming it got across the road safely, he started inching the car forward. He slammed on the brakes once more when he heard a voice call from his back seat.

“Hey, big boy.”

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