veda henderson

          "Phase one?" Nancy begins, turning around and waiting for someone to recite the first step of the plan to her. We sit in the van, now dark, as we go over the plan a few more times. This is Nancy's way of calming her nerves, sorting everything into logical, mathematical steps. 

    "We meet Erica at the playground," Robin begins, reciting the start of the plan that we've gone over multiple times. I can't say the rehearsal annoys me, rather, it brings me a sense of comfort to go over it. 

    "She'll signal to Max and Lucas when we're ready," I finish, my arms crossed over my chest as I stand beside Eddie. 

    "Phase two?" Nancy prompts.

    "Max baits Vecna," Steve says, his words causing me to flinch slightly, "He'll go after her, which'll put him in his trance,"

    "Phase three?"

    "Me, Eddie and Veda draw the bats away, clear a path," Dustin repeats himself from earlier, using his thumb to point at Eddie behind him. 

    "Phase four?" 

    "I meet Max in the trance, make sure everything goes smoothly," I speak up, feeling the pressure of the plan falling onto my shoulders. 

    "Phase five?" Nancy looks between all of us, her fear evident on her face no matter her attempts to hide it.

    "We head into Vecna's newly bat-free lair, and..." Robin pauses, lifting up a glass bottle with a red rag sticking out from the top, "Flambe,"

   "Nobody moves on to the next phase until we've all copied," Nancy reminds, the sternness in her voice sending goosebumps over my skin despite my multiple layers. "Nobody deviates from the plan, no matter what. Got it?"

    "Got it," Everyone repeats, moving to the door of the van.

    "Yes, ma'am," I reply, following behind Eddie to the door of the camper van.

    We all pile out, shutting the door behind us before we all make our way to Eddie's trailer. If all goes well, I plan on burning that trailer to the ground. Despite the good memories there, the bad definitely outweighs the good.

    Steve enters first, flicking the trailer's light on. I step into the trailer, Eddie behind me as I stare down the makeshift rope. Once we climb this rope, that's it. There's no guarantee we'll all come back down the rope. 

    I might not come back. I might die or I might become Vecna's puppet. I know deep down if that was about to happen, I'd sooner choose to die. 

    I'm tired of being a puppet of war.

    Steve steps forward, yanking the rope into his grasp and steadying himself, "Here goes nothing,"

    Steve pulls himself up, passing through the gate before falling forward. Instead of landing on his ass like the rest of us usually do, he flips himself so he lands flat on his feet. I stand beside Nancy and Robin, watching as Steve looks up and shrugs nonchalantly.

    "Oooh, what does he want us to do? Applaud?" Robin mocks him, rolling her eyes and smirking at Nancy.

    I laugh, cupping my hands around my mouth and shouting through the barrier of worlds, "Bravo, King Steve!"

    Steve returns into sight, dragging the upside-down version of Eddie's mattress under the entrance for us less athletic people to fall onto. "All right, let's go,"

    Nancy immediately begins to take her bag off of her back, dropping it to the floor as Robin kneels beside her. Nancy takes Robins's help, using the taller girl to hoist herself up to the rope. 

    One by one, the others climb the rope, throwing the weapons and necessary items up through the gate and to the other side. Soon enough, it's just me and Eddie standing on the normal side of the world, staring up through the gate as Dustin falls through. 

    "V?" Eddie's voice breaks through the tense atmosphere. I hum my reply, waiting for him to speak again as I keep my eyes on my brother falling onto the mattress. Eddie stays silent, alarming me enough to turn to him. 

    His eyes flick from me to the gate, the image of Steve helping my brother up off the mattress. Eddie then gently grabs my wrist, tugging me out of view of the gate. Before I can ask him what's wrong or react in any sort of way, his hands cup the sides of my face, bringing me forward and planting a deep kiss on my lips. 

    It feels like goodbye and see you later all at once. A desperation of closeness he's clinging to in the form of my being. It's confirmation to him that I'm here, for however much longer that's true, I'm here right now and so is he. So, I return the kiss, holding his wrists to stop him if he ever tries to let go.

    "Hurry up! We haven't got all night!" My brother's voice echoes in from the gate to our left. "Jesus Christ," 

    I groan, pulling away from Eddie now that my brother's voice has ruined the mood. I rest my forehead on his, his palms still gently holding my face. 

    "We got this, V. Vecna won't know what hit him," He reassures me, the skin of his forehead still against mine. 

    He straightens up, his warmth leaving me as he readjusts himself in preparation for the battle to come. I move first, stepping up to the makeshift rope and grabbing it in my hands. Eddie kneels beside me, allowing me to step on his knee and grab the rope higher. My bicep burns, a sharp pain shooting through my arm once I start to hold myself up.

    A grunt of pain leaves my throat each time my weight falls on my damaged arm. But, I continue to pull myself up until I pass through the gate. Within seconds, I fall from the rope and land flat on my back. I make eye contact with Eddie through the gate, his soft smile greeting me before Steve and Dustin grab me, pulling me up from the mattress so Eddie can climb through. 

    From the corner of my eye, I notice Dustin is staring at the side of my face. I turn to him, rolling my eyes at the judging look on his face. Slowly, he starts to smile in a child-like way, doing that stupid growl he does with his teeth.

    "Shut up, Dusty-bun," I warn, crossing my arms over my chest and turning back to the gate just as Eddie falls through.

    "I didn't say anything," He defends.

    I don't bother to reply to him, grabbing my things once Eddie falls through the gate and gets to his feet. We all exit the trailer, determination and slight fear heavy in the air between us. Steve turns around, stopping Dustin, Eddie and I in our tracks.

    His expression is solemn as he looks between the three of us, "If things here start to go south, I mean, at all, you abort. Okay? Draw the attention of the bats, keep 'em busy for a minute or two, and we'll take care of Vecna. Don't try to be cute or be a hero or something, okay? You guys are just-"

     "Decoys," Dustin cuts him off, slight annoyance in his tone. Almost as if Steve's words remind Eddie of his earlier promise, his eyes cut to me. Dustin speaks again, "Don't worry, you can be the hero, Steve,"

    "Absolutely, I mean, look at us," Eddie adds, gesturing between only himself and Dustin, "We are not heroes,"

    Noticing my lack of inclusion, Steve turns to me with a stern look. I roll my eyes, crossing my arms over my chest, "I'm not a child, Steve-"

    "You don't have to worry about this one," Eddie interrupts, draping his arm over my shoulder with a cocky grin on his face, directed at Steve, "She may be a hero, but, she's smart,"

    "So not necessary," Dustin whispers, eyeing the point of contact between me and his friend with a sour look. 

    Steve looks between all of us once more, nodding before turning to leave with Nancy and Robin. Eddie steps forward, calling his name. I turn to Eddie as his eyes meet mine, sadness heavy in his expression. He turns back to Steve who waits for him to speak, "Make him pay,"

    My chest tightens at the implications. He wants Vecna to pay for what he's done to me, for what he plans to make of me and for what he's done to Eddie himself. Out of everyone standing here, Eddie probably has the most right to want Vecna dead. I wouldn't want to be the one being blamed for Vecna's heinous crimes. There are a lot of people in this town who deserve that, but, Eddie isn't one of them.

    Without a word, Steve turns with Robin and Nancy next to him. All three of them walk off, torches in hand. 

    "Alright," I speak into the silence, dropping my arms to my side as I catch the attention of the two boys next to me, "Let's do this,"

----------

    All three of us step back, our chests heaving from all the lugging around of speakers and other equipment. Small smiles make their way onto our faces, admiring our handiwork and what it turned Eddie's trailer into. 

    "Not bad," Eddie breaks the silence. 

    "Not bad at all," Dustin agrees.

    All three of us turn to each other, smiling despite the hopeless situation we're stuck in currently.

    "Now, for the fun part," Eddie comments, smiling and tapping Dustin on the shoulder. They take off towards the door of the trailer, I jog slightly to catch up to them. Eddie enters his home quickly as if he doesn't recognise it as his home anymore. He breezes past the living room, towards the hallway where his room lies.

    I pause in the living room, memories of all the times I sat in here and laughed with him. This living room started everything from Vecna's terror to the relationship with Eddie that has given me something to hold on to. A sense of hope. 

    But, now is not the time for reminiscing. I shake my head, holding onto the straps over my body and following the two boys down the hallway. I enter Eddie's bedroom, watching as he slowly walks towards his beloved guitar. 

     "It's like... she was destined for an alternate dimension," Eddie comments, eyeing his musical instrument lovingly, "What do you say, Henderson?"

    My brother's giddiness is hard to miss as he watches Eddie grab his guitar off of its place on the mirror, holding it up in front of him.

    "Are you ready for the most metal concert in the history of the world?" Eddie finishes, turning on his heels to face Dustin. Dustin grins even further, stepping forward.

    "Is that a rhetorical question?"

    Eddie grabs the strap of the guitar, slipping it over his neck, "Let's do it,"

    We all turn, rushing back out of the trailer and outside where a wooden ladder is resting against the wall of the trailer. I'm not sure how much time we have until our step of the plan is ready to commence. Truthfully, I hope we never have to get to our part of the plan. For phase three to commence, Max has to bait Vecna.

    I feel like I've gotten to know the girl over the short time we've spent together. She feels like a little sister to me now and I don't know how I'll feel if I fail to save her along with the rest of them.

    "Ladies first," Eddie holds his arm across his abdomen, allowing room for me to step up to the ladder first. I grab the first step, adjusting myself in a way that minimises the pain in my arm as I climb up. 

    It doesn't take me long to get to the top, clearing the area as Dustin reaches the top after me. Within a couple of seconds, all three of us are on top of Eddie's trailer, looking out at the vast landscape of this fake Hawkins. 

    "Creepy, isn't it?" Eddie stands beside me, Dustin turning and moving towards the amps to the side of the roof. I look up at Eddie. A tightness has been bothering my chest since the moment we entered the upside down, a deep anxiety I'd usually medicate with drugs. If I wasn't so filled with adrenaline every day, the withdrawal symptoms would probably be a lot worse. 

    "You don't have to make small talk, Eds. I know you're just as freaked out as me," I smile softly, trying to reassure him that I won't judge him for feeling something natural. He always seems so hard on himself when it comes to his fear. But, if anything, it's completely natural.

    He shrugs, keeping his eyes out at the landscape in front of us, "I know. But, I want to,"

    "I will clear your name, y'know?" I remind him, his eyes finally turning to meet mine. "When this is all done, I'll tell everyone in town you saved me that night when I froze,"

    "I didn't save you, Vey," He brushes off my compliment.

    "No," I protest, reaching to grab his hand with mine. He interlocks our fingers, our joined palms hanging down by our sides. "You did. You're not a murderer, Eddie. You're braver than you think,"

    He smiles, looking out in front of me. I reach over, planting a kiss on his cheek before turning and walking over to my brother stationed near the amps. 

    His back remains turned to me as I approach him. I make my footsteps slighter, creeping up on him until I grab his shoulders to scare him, "Boo!"

    He shrugs me off of him, screwing his face up at me as I laugh. "You're such a child,"

    "Says the nerd who spends his days in the dark playing make-believe," I retort, falling down to sit cross-legged beside him as he crouches.

    "So does your boyfriend," Dustin claps back, turning from me to his work. I can tell he's nervous. I've never seen him nervous when it comes to this type of thing. 

    "Touche," I shrug. "I feel like we're going to be grounded for eternity after all this,"

    "Probably," He agrees, smiling at the thought of our mother.

    "Maybe you'll have to show me how you play that silly game," I suggest. He turns to me, a spark of excitement in his eyes at the mere suggestion. 

    "Really?" He asks.

    "Really," I confirm, turning from him to look at Eddie as he pulls the guitar strap over his neck. I turn back to Dustin, seeing how much more relaxed he seems, "Just go easy on me,"

    "Oh, Veda," He laughs mockingly, tapping his hand on my shoulder and pulling his lips into a thin line, "Not a chance,"

    My laugh is cut short by the static of Dustin's walkie-talkie, Robin's voice filtering through, "She's in. Move on to phase three,"

    Dustin scrambles for the device, holding it up to his mouth as he replies, "Copy that. Initiating phase three,"

    Dustin and I push ourselves to stand. He turns to the extension cord for the amps, plugging them in while I turn and make eye contact with Eddie. Slight static from the amps hits my ears, Dustin moves to turn up the volume as he mutters, "Let's hope they hear this,"

    Eddie keeps eye contact with me, the nerves on his face making my heart clench. I nod at him, letting him know it's time. He returns the gesture, lifting his necklace to kiss it for luck. He finally breaks eye contact with me, starting his guitar. 

    I recognise the song almost instantly, the familiar sound of Metallica's, 'Master of Puppets' playing at a deafening volume. It's a song from my favourite album by my favourite band. I remember hearing it in Eddie's van, playing over his radio as we drove to his trailer. I remember leaning over and turning the song up. It was on every time after that.

    Eddie's nerves almost physically leave his body, his demeanour relaxing as he loses himself to his music. I've never seen him play before, I've only seen him play air guitar every time we smoked weed together. 

    In no time, the demobats screech loudly in the distance. Even through the loud music, their shrieks almost overlay the sound.

    Dustin grabs his binoculars to look out at the sky as I turn to the guitar player, "Eddie!"

    My voice catches Eddie's attention, turning to us as Dustin lowers his binoculars, "We gotta lock down in T-minus 30 seconds," He holds up his hands, one hand with three fingers and the other shaped into a zero.

    Eddie nods, continuing to play his guitar loudly. Dustin looks back through the binoculars, keeping an eye on the bats. Soon enough, Dustin lowers the device and uses his eyes to watch the bats, shooting out every ten seconds to Eddie and holding up the corresponding hand signals. 

    Eddie's solo builds towards its end, Dustin shouting out numbers down from five. His voice drowns out in my ears as if I'm moving away from him at an accelerating speed. My eyes blink and open to reveal a different surrounding.

    I look down at my hands. My body is still covered in the same protective clothing, yet, when I look around, I see streamers and balloons decorating a school gymnasium.