Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Why are we here?” Hopper demanded to know.

"Everyone here is connected to each other through the Upside Down. Either you are someone directly affected by it or know someone who will be," a strange woman explained, suddenly appearing behind the group.

The Woman was a small lady with short, curly hair and oversized clothing. Somehow, Max thought she knew her.

"The Upside Down?" Max questioned, to which the Woman nodded.

"It's a dimension that directly mirrors your own, except no humans reside there, just monsters."

"Monsters?" Lucas whimpered.

"Beasts that feed on flesh and blood, a hive mind hellbent on consuming any living thing it can get its claws on,"

[ The camera opens on a sign that says “Welcome to Hawkins”, now covered in vines and filth. The sky is red. The camera followed one of the fissures in the ground as creatures crawled their way out from the Upside Down. Demogorgons, demodogs, demobats, and other vicious beasts. Half-eaten and decayed corpses line the streets, buildings are crumbling, and the world, for a lack of better terms, is dying.

NARRATOR: It’s been almost three years since the world ended.]

“Since the world… ended?” Joyce whispered, covering her mouth with her hand.

“This is the future you’re trying to prevent, isn’t it?” Hopper asked the Woman. She nodded.

“We lost a fight to being more powerful than any of us realized,” the Woman told them. Her eyes grew misty, “Too many have suffered because of him, especially the two you are about to meet.”

[ NARRATOR: I remember the days when all I used to worry about was throwing parties and passing my classes. 

The camera shows the destroyed Hawkins High School, with the gym’s roof having been caved in, showing off the first attempts at a safe zone. There are a lot of skeletons there, from adults to children.

NARRATOR: It all seems so silly now.

Suddenly, the camera switches to a forest of some kind. A pair of boots pass by as their wearer treks through the woods. Suddenly, a demogorgon appears from nowhere, lunging at the unseen person. The person, a man, reacted quickly, swinging a bat covered in nails towards the creature. The demogorgon screeched when it made an impact. The man wasted no time, hitting the creature repeatedly, nailing it over and over again until it collapsed to the ground, where the man raised his boot and brought it down on its head, crushing it and splattering gore everywhere. The camera panned upwards as the man stood, revealing it to be-]

“Harrington?!?!” Gareth shouted, shocked. Everyone looked on in horror at the revelation. That was the Harrington boy?

This Steve Harrington was far from the snobby jock he used to be. Four slashes wrap around from the back of his head to his face, slicing through his left eye and over his lips. The eye is heavily scarred, suggesting little to no vision remained. His ear is practically gone and the left side of his lips was twisted into a permanent scowl from the scarring, leaving just enough room for his teeth to poke through. Harrington had the beginnings of a beard as well, although it was more stubble than anything. Not to mention the clothes he wore were more accurate to a soldier than a prep, every article spattered and stained with blood and guts. 

[ STEVE: It’s been so long since we’ve seen anyone.

Steve dislodged the bat from the body, pulling some flesh with it. He shook it slightly, flinging black blood everywhere. He continued onwards through the woods.

STEVE: The kids were evacuated a long time ago. God, what I would do just to hear them call me stupid one more time.

It shows a flashback, changing to a bunch of military trucks loaded to the brim with people, highlighting a boy with curly hair and a hat whose back was to the camera.

STEVE: They tried to evacuate people, but they never made it out . Robin and I found what was left of the trucks a while back. Guess not even machine guns could take those things out. Poor bastards, they never stood a chance.

In the present, a camera pans over the destroyed remnants of the trucks, now overgrown with the vines. It lingers in front of a skeleton in military garbs, sitting in the front seat with a revolver in his hand and a hole in his head. It then passes over the skeletons and debris, only stopping at the same hat from the boy, now stained black from blood and dirt.

STEVE: If they’d listened to us, maybe they’d still be alive. Anyone who knows anything about those monsters knows bullets don’t do jack shit to ‘em. Something sharp will work in a pinch, if you know what you’re doing, but fire– *he paused for a moment*

STEVE: fire will get the job done just fine.]

For a moment, the hat reminded Lucas of Dustin, but he pushed the thought away. Dustin was right next to him, perfectly fine. Nothing to worry about.

“This whole apocalypse thing, this wasn’t the first time you dealt with those things, was it?” Hopper asked. The Woman paused, before slowly shaking her head.

“The earliest events happened in ‘83, but everything fell apart in ‘86. They were more isolated incidents than an apocalypse, though,” she replied.

“Wait, what do I have to do with Steve? I don’t even know the guy,” Robin wondered. The Woman shrugged.

“You will.”

[ The camera focuses on Steve again as he approaches a log cabin in the middle of the woods. The cabin is surrounded by booby traps, as shown by the delicate nature in which Steve avoids them. Barbed wire, trenches filled with spikes, and boarded-up windows made up the outside of the building. Finally, Steve makes it to the door, raising a fist and knocking on it in a specific pattern. It opens, revealing an equally scarred Robin Buckley with a gun in her hand. It’s not for Steve, though, it’s for anything that might follow him inside.

ROBIN: You’re late, dingus.

STEVE: *shooting her a smile as he entered* Well, I didn’t exactly have a watch to time it with. Anything happen?

ROBIN: *shaking her head* Nothing of note. A pack of demodogs ran by earlier, but otherwise? Nadda, zilch, nothin’.

The inside of the cabin was fairly sparse aside from old furniture. There was a mattress on the floor, tucked into the corner and covered with moth-eaten blankets. The windows were boarded-up on the inside as well, the boards peaking out from beneath the blankets nailed over them. In fact, many of the walls had curtains or blankets nailed to them.]

“What are the blankets for?” Will asked, curious. 

“Probably sound-proofing,” Eddie quickly answered, “it dampens the sound and makes it harder for things to hear them. I have a similar thing set up in my bedroom for when I play my guitar.”

“That’s pretty smart,” Dustin mused, making people look over at him in confusion. He quickly elaborated. “I mean, those things don’t have eyes, so it makes sense they would rely on their other senses, like hearing. Like spiders don’t have ears, so they make their webs and follow the vibrations to find their food.”

“God, I hope there’s not a spider thingy,” Robin shivered, “I hate spiders.”

[ STEVE: You didn’t have to wait for me.

ROBIN: Of course I did, I wasn’t about to let you wait outside. Knowing your luck, something would eat you. You’d be a little Stevie-kebab, and that’s no good for anyone.

STEVE: I’ll have you know I am very delicious, considering all the things that have taken bites out of me.

ROBIN: How many Michelin stars do you think you’d get?

STEVE: *chuckling* At least two.

The two laugh for a few moments before getting ready for the night, changing out of their battle gear into something a little more comfortable. As they change, the scars littering their bodies are revealed. Robin is covered in bites and scratches while Steve has more scar tissue than skin, huge swathes of his torso taking on a reddened hue. He hisses slightly when he moves, stretching the too-tight skin. ]

“What the fuck does that?” Jeff gasped, “God, it looks like he was eaten alive!”

“Considering what we’ve seen so far, he probably was,” Billy remarked, subtly pulling Max to his side. She looked as though she wanted to say something, but held her tongue instead, pressing further into him. If anyone were to ask, it wasn’t because she was scared, it was because Billy was. Totally.

"Is that thing from earlier part of that hive mind you mentioned?" Will asked quietly, almost shyly.

"Yes," the Woman confirmed, "they call those ones demogorgons."

"Wait, like the DnD creature?" Eddie questioned. The Woman just smiled.

"The very same, yes. All of the monsters were named after DnD characters or a variation of one. Like demodogs, or demobats."

[ STEVE: *groaning* God, I wish lotion was still a thing. This shit hurts.

Steve sets the nail-bat next to the bed and Robin checks under the pillow, showing off a loaded revolver. The two curl up on the bed together, Robin pressed to Steve’s chest.

ROBIN: Do you ever think about the Before?

STEVE: *hesitating* ... Sometimes.

Robin waits for Steve to continue, tracing the scars on Steve's chest. He lets out a shuttering breath.

STEVE: *voice quiet, sorrowful* Sometimes, I dream that everything is okay. That the banging on the door isn't a flesh-eating monster but Dustin, because even after I got him a key he'd always forget it.

We are shown a memory of Steve and the same boy from earlier, his face no shown to the audience. He wrestled with Steve, the two laughing like maniacs.

STEVE: That I'm back at the championship game, watching Lucas nail the winning basket.

Another memory, this one of Steve pulling Lucas into his arms, hugging him tight and holding him against his chest. Lucas is in a basketball jersey, smiling so wide it must hurt.

STEVE: That I'm here, but not the here of now, the here when Hopper was still alive, when El and Max would beg me to come over just so they could braid my hair and paint my nails.

We are shown Steve with two young girls. A curling iron sits on the ground, clearly the reason for Max's ginger curls. The two girls crowd around Steve, pinning barrettes in his hair while he waited for his nails to dry.

STEVE: God, I even miss Mike, the little shithead *sniffling* Funny, isn't it? He did nothing but insult me, but, fuck- What I wouldn't give for him to call me a douchebag one more time.

The screen begins flickering back and forth, flashing between them on the bed and them bleeding out on the ground in the same position. There are flashes to a battle where several winged demogorgon creatures are surrounding them.

We see them fighting, but in the end it returns to Steve and Robin curled up together, bleeding. Steve is coughing up blood, lungs punctured, while Robin’s guts are spilling out. They look at each other, knowing that this is the end. 

ROBIN: *Panting* L-Love you, dingus.

STEVE: *Gasping for breath* L-Love y-you, R-Robs. S-See you in t-the m-morn-n-ning.

ROBIN: P-Pancakes?

STEVE: *hacking up some more blood* W-With ch-choc-colate chips.

Robin smiled, blood leaking from her mouth.

ROBIN: M-My favorite.

Robin started humming a broken tune. Steve’s breathing staggered for a few moments before eventually it stopped. Robin stopped humming, realizing that Steve had died. She started softly crying, shuttering, clinging to her platonic soulmate. The screen began to fade to black as the camera focused in on their connected hands, staying until Robin’s hand went limp too.]

The people in the room fell into a deep silence. No one moved, as though the smallest shift would end the world. 

“Harrington was a piece a work on a good day, but fuck-” Jeff cut off, sounding close to tears.

"I died?" Robin stared at the screen in horror

“No one deserves that,” Dustin whispered, pressing closer to Lucas next to him.

“Why would you show us this?” Joyce demanded, her sons clinging to her, “what could we possibly gain from seeing that?”

The woman just raised a finger, stopping Joyce from continuing. She then gestured to the screen.

[ The sound of an alarm rings out. The scene opened with a bedroom shot. It panned over a Hawkins High Swim Team shirt to a lump on the bed. It changed to the perspective of the lump as they threw the blankets off of themself. They look down at their hands, noting the scarless skin and lack of callouses. The POV rushes to the bathroom, collapsing against the sink. The camera panned upwards, stopping once the POV locked eyes with himself, the sixteen-year-old body of Steve Harrington.]

“What the hell?” Eddie exclaimed, only to be shushed by the woman.

[ Steve inspected his face, caressing the places he once knew to bear scars of injuries past. He then removed his shirt, giving his torso the same treatment.

STEVE: What?

He rushed downstairs. Steve is running so fast he crashes into the wall, knocking down picture frames. He paid no mind to the sound of the glass shattering, his only goal being to make it to the kitchen. He reached the phone, quickly putting in a phone number, anxiously waiting for someone on the other line to pick up. Steve perked up when someone picked up. He swallowed.

STEVE: Robbie?

There was a sob on the other side.

ROBIN: Am I dreaming, or did you- did I-

STEVE: Yeah. Yeah, I think we did, Robs. But, um- 

Steve glanced over to the calendar attached to the fridge, showing that the date was June 19th, 1983.

STEVE: I don’t think that’s the biggest of our concerns right now. ]

Chapter Text

“They time-travelled?!?!” Dustin exclaimed, practically vibrating in his seat.

“Is it really time-travel if it’s their minds, not their bodies?” Gareth questioned. Dustin paused, thinking it over.

“Fair enough,” Dustin conceded.

[ The next episode starts. It opened with Steve pacing the length of the entryway, seemingly waiting for the arrival of Robin. The boy, not man despite his mental age, perked up at the sound of tires outside. He rushed to the front door, throwing it open to see a much younger Robin outside.

The girl practically threw her bike to the side in an attempt to reach Steve. The two collided, fitting against each other as though they were puzzle pieces. Steve pressed kiss after kiss into Robin’s hair, tears streaming down his face. She clutched at his back, as though afraid he would disappear if Robin let go. The two pulled apart slightly, just enough to see each other’s face.

ROBIN & STEVE: Holy shit-

The two broke out laughing, wet from their tears. 

ROBIN: You’re okay.

Steve smiled, trembling from the rush of emotions upon seeing her. He grabbed Robin’s hand and pressed her palm against his chest, letting her feel his heartbeat. He then cupped Robin’s cheek with his free hand, slowly moving it down to press two fingers against her pulse, feeling the faint thumping of her heart.

STEVE: *sniffling* We’re both okay.]

Robin stared at the screen. The Steve she knew was a grade A asshole. Asshole with a capital A. She couldn’t even comprehend a single situation where Steve and her would hang out in any capacity, yet somehow, the two were friends in the future. Good friends at that, considering how easily they moved around each other, clearly so well-versed in their knowledge of each other.

[ The scene cuts to the two in the living room, shoulder-to-shoulder as they stared down at a small notebook Steve had found in his bedroom. Robin had a pen clutched in one hand and Steve’s hand in her other.

ROBIN: What do we do now? Just live through life until monsters from the Upside Down come knocking on our door? Hell, even just the government! We tell anyone and we’ll be in straightjackets until the day we die.

STEVE: *dryly* That’s if they don’t kill us first.

ROBIN: I’m sorry, what?

Steve gave her a look.

STEVE: What do you think happened to Benny? He was the first person to help El after she escaped the lab. The government overheard his call to CPS, tracked him down, and put a bullet through his skull. They clearly don’t care about the backlash as long as they get their little pet project back.]

“They killed Benny for helping a kid?” Jonathan asked, shocked.

“Yeah, what the hell?” Peter shouted, agreeing with Jonathan.

“Who’s El?” Mike asked the Woman, curious. She just gave him an eerie smile.

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

[ ROBIN: Okay, I’m clearly missing a lot more shit than I realized. Who else died from all the Upside Down bullshit?

Steve hesitated, deep in thought, before finally gesturing for Robin’s pen. She handed it to him, watching as he began scribbling down names.

STEVE: Well, Benny of course. Then-

Steve paused, swallowing. The camera centers on the page as Steve finally writes the name ‘Barb Holland’.

STEVE: Barb.

ROBIN: *softly* I don’t think you ever told me how she died, just that it was Upside Down related.

Steve stood, leaving the pen on the coffee table. He walked over to the window overlooking the pool.

STEVE: *quietly* I invited Nancy to a party, back before we were officially dating. Barb came along for moral support, I think. Nancy basically said she was being a buzzkill, so Barb tried to shotgun a beer. She cut herself and just wanted to go home, but Nance didn’t want to, so…

Steve trailed off with a humorless laugh. Robin waited for him to continue.

STEVE: Y’know, I always told the kids the reason I didn’t want to swim while they were over was because I wanted to keep watch in case something happened. The real reason was that the demogorgon killed Barb there while I was having sex with her best friend.]

Nancy let out a bloodcurdling cry at the revelation. Mike, despite how he usually acts around his sister, hugged her, allowing her to cry into his hair.

[ Steve turned back to Robin, leaning against the window with his arms crossed.

STEVE: They're attracted to blood, and their favorite prey is anything still living when they start eating.

ROBIN: *softly* Anyone else the first time around?

Steve snapped out of it, deciding to continue on.

STEVE: I think the demogorgon may have killed some hunters, and a few local pets, but otherwise, no. I’m pretty sure Will was the only other one really affected by it.

Robin nodded, writing Will’s name on the list, now aptly titled ‘People we need to save’.

STEVE: Then there was Bob, Joyce’s boyfriend. I don’t remember his last name, but Mike said he sacrificed himself so they could escape Hawkins Lab when it was attacked by demodogs. Poor guy became puppy chow. There were all the flayed people too, but other than Billy and Heather, I’ve got nothing. I think there was a nice Russian guy who helped Hop and Joyce, Al-something. Definitely started with an A. Shot by one of the guys he betrayed to help them.

ROBIN: *scribbling* And the next part I was unfortunately here for.

Robin then writes down the names of Vecna’s victims: Chrissy Cunningham, Fred Benson, Patrick McKinney. Robin stares at the names before finally writing two more with a shaky hand, Max Mayfield and Eddie Munson.]

“I die?” Max whimpered, finally dropping the mature and too-cool-for-this attitude as she tucked herself into Billy’s side.

“Not if I have anything to say about it,” Billy growled, clutching her tightly to his side. Max might be a pain in the ass, but she’s Billy’s pain in the ass. Billy heard something about him dying too, but he paid it no mind. He’d rather be dead than let anything happen to his sister.

Eddie stared at his own name on the page. His uncle reached over and grabbed his wrist lightly. They’d never been the most physically affectionate pair, it just wasn’t in his uncle’s nature, but without fail, the man always knew when Eddie needed it.

[ ROBIN: What’s the game plan then? I mean, Will didn’t disappear until what? Early November? We’ve got almost five full months until anything happens.

Steve approached Robin, stopping before her.

STEVE: Well, we’re gonna have to prepare regardless. First aid, weapons, yadda, yadda. God, this shit was so much easier when Nancy was telling us what to do.

ROBIN: *groaning* Fuck, we’re gonna have to get back into shape again. I’d just gotten abs, Steve, abs!

STEVE: Tell me about it. Look at me! *gesturing towards his soft stomach* I didn’t start caring about my body ‘till junior year. All of my hard work, wasted! How am I supposed to kill monsters with all this pudge?

Robin reached forward and poked Steve, making him shriek.

ROBIN: *giggling* Squishy.

Steve swatted at her, making her laugh harder. Robin flipped the paper and started a to-do list, adding what they discussed previously while Steve began pacing once more.

STEVE: I think our first concern is stopping Will from being attacked by the demogorgon and finding El before Benny does. And I won’t throw that party either, so Barb’ll be fine. That’s four down and a shit ton to go.

Robin stopped writing, seemingly realizing something Steve hasn’t, but Steve continues.

STEVE: The other people might be more of a problem. Maybe I’ll get a job at Benny’s, that way I have an excuse to be around when El shows up. Pretty sure she showed up the day after Will disappeared, so if I get the job I’ll have to be free that night- 

ROBIN: Steve.

STEVE: Should I try to befriend Jonathan early? Maybe I could offer to babysit Will, that way he at least knows who I am and won’t think it’s weird if I try to help him. Actually, he might think it’s weird, but if Jonathan knows I’m friends with you-

ROBIN: Steve!

Steve stopped, turning to face her. He spots the serious look on her face.

ROBIN: Steve, if we do this-

Robin paused for a moment, staring down at the list of people.

ROBIN: If we do this, and it works, the kids won’t know you, not like they did before. They won’t have the same reasons to know you, and you won't have a reason to know them.

STEVE: *swallowing* I know.

Robin stared at him, concern obvious on her face.

ROBIN: Will you be able to live with that?]

The kids didn’t even know who Steve was, only hearing about him from their older siblings if they had them, but what could have happened for him to care so deeply for them? To love them so much that he was willing to sacrifice the possibility of knowing them if it meant they would survive? But what were they surviving?

Why would Steve worry so much about Will? About Jonathan? Joyce feared what may have happened to cause that.

How did he ever meet Max? They live in California, why would they end up in Hawkins? Billy didn’t want to know.

Steve was willing to abandon the prospects of a romantic relationship just to save her best friend. He’s shown that he even loved Mike, who apparently treated him like shit. The nosy part of Nancy wanted to know more.

Why was Eddie involved at all? Enough that Steve and Robin would risk everything just to save him? He’d barely interacted with Robin and Steve’s never spoken to him aside from the occasional “freak”, but even then. Eddie was scared of what that meant for him, and his bandmates agreed.

[ Steve ran a hand through his hair, avoiding Robin’s eyes. After a few tense moments, he finally met her gaze. His eyes were filled with unshed tears, a determination in his eyes only found in soldiers.

STEVE: If it means they live past the age of sixteen, I’ll do whatever it takes. I’d rather watch them grow up away from me than have to bury their corpses again. I couldn’t live through that again, I just couldn’t.]

Chapter Text

"So we’re all dead,” Jonathan gravely surmised, “in that future, anyway."

The Woman nodded, a grim look on her face.

"I can’t believe they’d give up everything just to protect us,” Mike murmured, "we don’t even know them."

(same “episode”)

[ROBIN: Maybe you don’t have to. Avoid them, that is.

Steve made a confused noise.

ROBIN: I mean, you said something about babysitting Will for Jonathan, right? Didn’t Jonathan work at Benny’s? I feel like he mentioned that at some point.

STEVE: Pretty sure he did. I think he also took shifts at the diner in town too.

ROBIN: Then you should definitely see if you can’t get a job at Benny’s. That’s Eleven, Will, Jonathan, and Benny in one swoop. Four birds with one stone. The Party adores Will, so if they find out you ‘saved’ their friend, then they’d probably want to be around you. Maybe you can still be their babysitter, minus the monster-hunting and near-death experiences. Trauma-bonding without the trauma.

Steve thought about it for the moment.

STEVE: That’s… a pretty damn good plan. It gives us a good head start. Alright, I’ll see what I can do. What about us though?

ROBIN: Us?

STEVE: *gesturing between each other* No offense, but you’re a band geek who doesn’t like jocks, and I’m the great 'King Steve’. People are gonna think it’s pretty weird if we suddenly show up as friends.

Robin opened her mouth, but hesitated. She sighed.

ROBIN: Yeah, I’ve got nothing.

STEVE: ...What if you were my girlfriend?

Robin made a face at that.

ROBIN: Um, unless you’ve grown boobs that I don’t know about, you’re not exactly my type.

STEVE: *rolling his eyes* I’m serious. If we date, that gives us a reason to be around each other and it gets your parents off your back about dating. Besides, I don’t think I could pretend to date Nancy. *he shivered* It’d be like dating a child, yuck.

ROBIN: Agreed. That’s probably our best bet.

STEVE: Alrighty. We’ve got five months. Let’s do this shit.]

“Steve… knows?” Robin whispered, almost scared. The Woman walked up to Robin, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“There’s not a person in here who would condemn you for that, and even if there was, I wouldn’t let them hurt you,” the Woman told her, leaving no room for argument. She stood, looking over the group. “I should hope this knowledge won’t become a problem?”

The majority of them quickly shook their heads, but after a few moments, Eddie spoke out.

“I mean, I’d be a pretty big hypocrite to judge you,” Eddie looked at Robin, a kind smile on his face. 

“You too?” Robin asked, hopeful. Eddie nodded.

“Me too.”

[The audience is a shown a series of scenes, clearly taking place over the span of a few months

The first scene shows Steve and Robin chatting with Benny at his diner with the date July 5th layered over the bottom in white text. You cannot hear what the two are saying, but Steve smiles and shakes Benny’s hand, clearly receiving good news.

It cuts to July 29th with Steve and Jonathan working a shift together. Steve’s cooking up an order while Jonathan is cleaning dishes. While putting a pan in the sink, Steve bumped hips with Jonathan. Jonathan shot Steve a look, but Steve just smiled, asking “How’s your brother doing?” Jonathan hesitated, but began telling Steve about the newest mixtape he wanted to make his brother. A camaraderie is beginning to form.

On August 5th, Steve is shown talking to Jonathan at the Byers residence. Jonathan is instructing Steve on Will’s bedtime routine as he gets ready for a night shift. He hugs Will goodbye. 

When school starts up, Robin is shown amongst the popular girls, fake gushing about her ‘relationship’ with Steve. Chrissy Cunningham is shown sitting right next to Robin, comfortable at her side. Carol sits on Robin’s other side.

Finally, the scenes end on Steve in the Hawkins High gymnasium, now October 28th. It was afterschool conditioning for the upcoming basketball team. He was shown pacing, or more accurately prowling, in front of the basketball team, a serious look on his face. 

STEVE: Do you know why we’re here today?

The players just stare at him, seemingly confused.

STEVE: That wasn’t rhetorical. Do. You. Know. Why. We’re. Here. Today.

Seeing that Steve was serious, they started glancing at each other, gauging who should answer. Jason Carver, a sophomore, cleared his throat. Steve came to a stop in front of the kid.

JASON: We didn’t meet expectations last practice?

Steve scoffed.

STEVE: True, but that’s not why we’re here. Anyone else want to give it a try?

Steve gestured slightly. No one spoke.

STEVE: No? Well, I’ve been thinking, and as the captain of this team, I’ve decided to implement some new rules, with coach’s approval of course. 

The players look amongst each other, uneasy looks on their faces.

(This is where I add in random characters fyi.)

TIM: *annoyed* Rules? Since when do we need rules?

STEVE: Since attitudes like that started ruining this team.

BRIAN: Are you serious?

STEVE: Deadly so.

Steve chuckled slightly, enjoying the inside joke only he understood.

STEVE: Starting today, if I hear a single thing, even the smallest whisper, about you causing anyone problems in school or outside of it, you will face punishment. That includes both verbal and physical altercations. Punishments will vary, but they will be based on the severity of your act. It could be as simple as running laps or as bad as being banned from all extracurricular activities for the rest of the school year.

JASON: What the hell? You can’t do that!

The team looked to the coach standing a few feet behind Steve.

SCOTT: Coach, you can’t seriously be allowing this?

The coach shrugged slightly, unperturbed.

COACH: Steve came to me with concerns and I agreed. He has my full permission to give punishments on my behalf as long as they are reasonable.

STEVE: We are the face of Hawkins High and I will not let our school, and by association our town, be humiliated because we have not instilled proper manners into our athletes. So you can either suck it up and shape up, or you can walk your ass out of here because I refuse to allow bullies on this team.

TOMMY: *scoffing* Like you’re a saint. Since when did you care about other people’s feelings?

Steve locked eyes with Tommy, an unreadable emotion in his eyes.

STEVE: Since I woke up and realized I hated who I had become.]

“He’s committed, I’ll give him that,” Hopper remarked, “definitely a far-cry from the kid whose parties I’d have to bust.”

[In the lunch room, Steve took his place at his usual table. Despite the conversation several days prior, the basketball players still sit by Steve. They seem to have taken Steve’s words to heart. Robin took her spot at Steve’s side, not moving when Steve wrapped an arm around her.

A ruckus sounded off behind them, making the two glance back. They spotted a familiar metalhead, his hair much shorter than it was the last time they had seen the man and his jacket missing many of the patches they were familiar with, but it was him.

The two shared a look, agreeing on their newest objective.

Save Eddie Munson.]

“So they’re trying to prevent whatever happened in their future, correct?” Eddie asked, “aside from, um, dying, what do I have to do with all the monster stuff?”

“Wrong place, wrong time, unfortunately. You were given the option to back out, but you stood with them until the very end. They think very highly of you,” the Woman informed him.

“I’m no hero,” Eddie protested, “not even close.”

The Woman just smirked, “I’ll let you continue to believe that.”

Chapter Text

[The scene opened with a shot of a calendar on Steve’s fridge, focusing on the large red circle on the day ‘November 6th’. The camera went up the stairs and into Steve’s room. Robin was on Steve’s bed, watching as Steve got dressed for work.

ROBIN: So, Will tonight and El tomorrow?

Steve made a so-so face, shrugging on a sweatshirt.

STEVE: I’d like to get them both in one go if possible. From what I understand, El escaped the same night Will was taken. She spent a whole day alone in the woods by the time the boys found her. The idea of El being out in the woods, even if she can hold her own… *upset noise*

ROBIN: Yeah… Makes me feel yucky, too.

STEVE: You sure you’re okay just hanging out front?

ROBIN: Don’t worry about me, Stevie, I’m gonna be hanging out with your boyfriend~

Steve grabbed a loose sock on the floor and chucked it at Robin, making her shriek.

ROBIN: Gross!

STEVE: *flustered* Eddie’s not my boyfriend!

ROBIN: But you sure wish he was! *mockingly* Oh, Eddie, I love your pretty doe eyes-

STEVE: *incredulous* Doe eyes?!?

ROBIN: Shush- *still mocking* and I just want to run my fingers through your fluffy hair and smooch you-

Steve managed to locate the other sock and fling it at Robin, which does nothing to stop her maniacal laughter. Steve tackled her to the bed when she tried to run, trapping her beneath him as he ran his fingers over her sides.

ROBIN: No- Ah- Stop! *laughing*

STEVE: YOU DESERVE THIS!]

Gareth glanced over to Eddie, who was hiding his face behind his hair. Gareth knew his friend well enough that his face was bright red underneath his curls.

“Do we want to talk about that?”

“Nope. Nuh uh. Absolutely not.”

“Fair enough.”

[The two eventually calmed down, falling into a comfortable silence as they laid next to each other.

ROBIN: I think you should try this time.

STEVE: Robs.

Robin shifted, now propped up on her elbow. She had a sad look on her face.

ROBIN: I saw him when the Vecna shit first went down. He was into you, dingus! He was practically eye-fucking you when you stripped at Lover’s Lake.

STEVE: Robs-

ROBIN: Steve, I’m serious. I think it’d be worth a try. I know you have this whole self-sacrifice thing going on, but you deserve happiness too. Who knows, maybe gay love will save the day.

Steve gave a small smile at her words.

ROBIN: There he is! Show Eddie that little smile and he will be tripping over himself to buy you roses and write you songs!

Steve blushed and batted at Robin as he stood, his face bright red.

STEVE: *groaning* God, I can’t go to work looking like a tomato.]

“That’s… really sweet, actually,” Nancy mused, shooting a look towards Eddie who was still hiding behind his hair. Eddie let his hair part slightly, staring up at the screen.

“I’m not that great,” Eddie muttered. Wayne swatted at his nephew’s arm.

“What’d I say about saying that kind of stuff?” 

“Not to when you’re around?” Eddie tried, making his uncle sigh. 

“Close enough.”

[ The scene cuts to Steve at Benny’s, at his usual place by the stove. Steve plated a burger and set it on the window for Benny to grab. While waiting, Steve tried to spot Robin. He found her in the corner booth with Eddie Munson at her side. 

The two were hunched over a chemistry textbook as Robin explained something about chemical formulas. Eddie answered a question softly, but correctly, to which Robin praised him. Steve smiled from where he stood. Robin glanced up, catching Steve’s eye. She gestured towards Eddie with her eyes, clearly telling Steve to make his move. Steve’s smile fell slightly as he shook his head, mouthing ‘not now’.]

“I’m still confused about the whole Will thing,” Joyce fretted, “what’s going to happen to my boy?”

“If those two get their way, hopefully nothing,” Jeff replied, leaning back in his seat, “They certainly put in enough work to avoid it.”

“No kidding,” Gareth agreed.

[Steve and Robin are now in Steve’s Beemer, seemingly patrolling the streets. The camera phased through the backseat and into the trunk, showing the audience various supplies including a new bat with nails freshly hammered into it, a hefty first aid kit, and a few containers of flammable liquids, ranging from kerosene to hairspray.

The camera returned to Steve and Robin in the front seat. Suddenly, something large runs across the road, causing Steve to slam on the breaks. Steve parked and the two got out of the car, trying to spot the thing. Whatever it was, it disappeared into the woods. 

ROBIN: Steve!

Steve turned to face Robin, who was pointing at a street sign. Cornwallis and Kerley. They suddenly hear a scream, one that definitely didn’t come from an adult.

STEVE: *panicked* WILL!

Steve quickly rushed to the trunk of his car, throwing a hairspray to Robin and grabbing his trusty nail bat. The two ran towards the scream. 

Steve spotted Will’s bike, overturned by the side of the road. As they approached, they saw Will on the ground below a shadowy figure. The creature’s face began to split open, a familiar five-petal shape appearing in the darkness. Steve loudly whistled, catching both Will’s and the demogorgon’s attention.]

“Holy shit!” Peter exclaimed.

“Oh, god!” Joyce cried out, pulling Will into her arms. Jonathan pressed against Will’s other side, sandwiching the boy between them as though he would disappear.

[STEVE: HEY!

Will scrambled out of Steve’s way as he charged the demogorgon, Steve slamming his nail bat into the creature as it leapt over Will and towards him. It shrieked as Steve ripped the bat from the creature, tearing flesh away as he did so, only to hit it once more. 

While Steve was beating the demogorgon, Robin swept up Will, cradling him to her chest as she carried him to Steve’s car. She placed him down in Steve’s backseat, placing a soothing kiss on his forehead before leaving him to join Steve.

Will watched from the car window as Robin pulled out a lighter, shook the can of hairspray, and pressed down on the nozzle. The spray caught fire once it touched the open flame, creating a makeshift flamethrower. The demogorgon roared as Robin approached with the fire, illuminating and revealing to the audience its true appearance. 

Blood poured from its wounds, showing the sheer amount of damage Steve caused. Not long after Robin arrived with the fire, the creature took off, clearly deciding that the fight wasn’t worth it. Steve gestured towards the car before giving chase. While Steve followed it, Robin returned to the car, opening the backseat door.

ROBIN: You okay, bud?

Will just nodded, out of breath. Robin placed a hand on Will's back, rubbing it in a comforting way. Steve returned not long after, his bat still dripping with black blood.

STEVE: Don’t think it'll be back tonight. Must’ve gone back through its hunting gate. 

Steve eyes land on Will, changing from war-hardened to compassionate in a moment. He walked over to Will, kneeling before the boy. Steve reached for the boy’s hand, holding it tight. He gave it a small squeeze.

STEVE: *softly* You’re okay, I promise. Robs and I scared that thing off, it shouldn’t be coming back if it would like to live another day. 

Will started crying. Robin moved out of the way so Steve could hug Will.

STEVE: Shhhh, I’ve got you, Will, I’ve got you. You’re safe now.

WILL: *sobbing* I-I didn’t- It came out of n-nowhere. I c-couldn’t-

ROBIN: *gently* It’s okay, bud. You’re just a kid, you did your best.

Steve pulled away slightly, wiping tears from Will’s cheeks.

STEVE: Your mom’s shift should be over soon, right? Let’s get you home and fixed up, alright?

Will nodded, wiping at his running nose. Robin grabbed a spare blanket from the trunk, wrapping Will up in it before joining him in the backseat, pressing the terrified boy to her side. Steve took his place in the driver’s seat after grabbing Will’s bike and shoving it into the trunk, quickly pulling back onto the road.]

“Was that fucking crazy or what?” Eddie exclaimed, gesturing wildly, “Like, holy shit!”

“He… saved my life?” Will stated, as though questioning the choice.

“God, remind me to hug that boy the next time I see him,” Joyce whispered into Will’s hair, tucking him beneath her chin as she hugged him.

[They pulled up not long before Joyce did. While Steve was taking care of Will’s bike, Robin helped Will into the house, getting him settled on the couch. Joyce pulled up as Steve made his way up the steps to the house. Joyce spotted him and rushed over, where Steve then led her into the house. She inspected Will all over, seeing Robin’s first aid job. While Robin was talking to Joyce, telling her to watch out for a concussion, Steve spotted a flash of white in the woods. He looked at Robin before coming to stand at Joyce’s side. The two bid her and Will goodnight before heading out.

Steve drove the two of them back to Mirkwood. They glanced at one another before finally getting out. They head back into the woods, armed with the nail bat and lighter. They glance at each other, before finally disappearing from view of the camera.

They had a little girl to save.]

Chapter Text

“Is this about that girl, El?” Nancy questioned, “assuming that El is short for Eleven.”

“Eleven? Who the hell names their child after a number?” Hopper huffed. The Woman nodded.

“I won’t tell you who named her, that will be revealed eventually, but yes, El is short for Eleven,” she answered.

[The friends traversed the woods, knocking aside brush and shrubbery that had grown brittle from the approaching winter. 

ROBIN: Will’s search party didn’t find her, how exactly are we supposed to?

STEVE: Well-

Steve used his nail bat to poke a bush.

STEVE: El didn’t talk about her time before the Party, really. I only know the basics: Near Mirkwood, escaped the lab through a drain, and where the boys found her.

ROBIN: That doesn’t give us much.

STEVE: *sighing* No, it doesn’t.

They hear rustling behind them, causing them to turn around. Robin raised her hairspray in defense, but Steve hesitated to do the same with his bat.

STEVE: Eleven?

The rustling paused, almost scared. Steve listened a little closer, realizing he could hear quiet breathing. He smiled slightly; he recognized those breaths.

STEVE: Hey, sweetheart. I know you’re scared right now, but we just want to help you. We want to protect you from the bad men.

A small, shocked noise came from behind a tree. A tiny hand appeared, soon to be followed by a small face and an equally small body clothed in a dirty hospital gown. The little girl stayed where she was, but she could now see them. Eleven stared at them with her usual look, a strange combination of confusion and knowing too much.]

“Oh my God,” Eddie exclaimed, “She’s so tiny!”

“Oh, poor baby,” Joyce worried, “she must be cold.”

“Why is her head shaved?” Mike asked, looking to the Woman for answers.

“You’ll see.” The Woman smiled cryptically.

[ELEVEN: You know bad… men?

She tilted her head, as though the new angle would make things make more sense to her.

STEVE: *nodding* Yes, sweetheart. My name’s Steve, and this is Robin-

Robin waved awkwardly.

STEVE: We can help you hide from the bad men. If they want you so badly, they’ll have to go through us to get you.

Steve offered Eleven his hand, slowly to not spook her. Cautiously, Eleven stepped out from behind the tree and approached them. She took Steve’s hand, his hand big enough to swallow her own.

ELEVEN: Is… Good. I… Like that. Feel... Safe.

STEVE: Can I pick you up? It’ll be easier to get out of the woods that way.

Eleven stared at Steve for a few moments, flicking between his eyes and their connected hands, before finally nodding. Slowly, Steve reached around the girl and scooped her up, cradling her in his arms. Robin took the nail bat for Steve as they returned to the car. Steve was humming the entire trip back to the car, so combined with the swaying motion of being carried and Steve’s warmth, Eleven found herself falling asleep in his arms.

The scene shifts to Steve carrying Eleven into his house, the girl now wrapped up in a blanket burrito style. Robin ran ahead to open the door for them, ushering the two inside while she kept watch. She followed them just in time to see Eleven pull the blanket away from her face, nose scrunched cutely.]

“I CAN’T-”

“SHE’S TOO CUTE-”

“AHHHH-”

[STEVE: You hungry, Ellie?

Eleven looked at Steve, confused.

ELEVEN: El-ee?

STEVE: It’s a nickname for Eleven.

ELEVEN: *confused* Nick…name?

ROBIN: Right, um, a nickname is a name given to someone that isn’t the name they were born with. Only the coolest of people get nicknames.

ELEVEN: Cool?

STEVE: Yeah, kiddo, you’re the coolest.

Eleven, now dubbed Ellie, nodded to herself as though Steve had given her the secret to the universe.

ELLIE: I am cool.

ROBIN: *chuckling* Yeah, you are. Now, would thou child dubbed thee ‘coolest’ like a bath?

The color drained from Ellie’s face at Robin’s words and she started to shake. Steve panicked and froze, not daring to move.

STEVE: Woah, Ellie what’s wrong?

ELLIE: *Tearing up, shaking her head* No bath, no bath! I do not want to see the dark place!]

“The dark place?” Dustin repeated, voice shaking.

“Good God,” Hopper muttered.

[Steve and Robin shared a look.

STEVE: *softly, trying to avoid being thrown into a wall* It’s not that kind of bath, I promise. We just want to get all that mud off of you and give you some proper clothes. You don’t have to go to the dark place if you don’t want to. It’s your choice.

ELLIE: *shaky* My choice?

Robin kneeled before Ellie, cautiously taking the young girl’s hand.

ROBIN: That’s right, baby. We know the bad men didn’t let you decide, but we will. You’ll never have to go to the dark place again if you don’t want to.]

“I’m going to fucking kill whoever raised her because what the fuck,” Gareth hissed.

“Why the hell does a child not think she can have a choice?” Hopper seethed, clenching his fists.

[Ellie hesitates before finally nodding.

ELLIE: *quiet* I am dirty. I… I would like to clean myself.

Steve and Robin release the breaths they had been holding throughout that whole conversation. Crisis averted. 

ROBIN: Of course, Els. *to Steve* I’ll get her all cleaned up if you want to find some clothes for her.

STEVE: Sounds good to me. I’ll see if I can’t scrounge up something for dinner.

Steve headed upstairs to his room, hearing Ellie ask Robin what scrounging was. Luckily, Steve had a box of his childhood stuff in his closest, which thankfully contained some clothes. The clothes, an old t-shirt and pajama pants, were big enough that they’d probably still need to roll up the sleeves, but not so much that she’d be swimming in them like she did with Hopper’s clothes in the other timeline.

Steve left the clothes outside of the bathroom, hearing Robin and Ellie giggle over something as he left. After inspecting the cupboards, Steve decided on something simple that wouldn’t upset Ellie’s stomach. 

Flashback to Steve discussing with Hopper how difficult it was to work El up to more complex foods because the meals at the lab valued nutrition over flavor.

By the time Steve finished up a simple meal of lightly seasoned chicken and broccoli, Robin and Ellie had exited the bathroom. Ellie’s eyes lit up at the sight of the steaming food at the kitchen table. Robin quickly took her seat at the table, with Ellie hesitantly following suit.

Robin dug into the meal, but Ellie didn’t move, looking to Steve for instructions. Steve was plating his own meal when he caught her eye.

STEVE: Go ahead kid, you don’t have to wait on me.

Ellie immediately began shoving the food into her mouth, freaking out Robin.

ROBIN: Jesus, Els, slow down! You’re gonna give yourself a tummy ache.

Ellie paused, cheeks flushing with embarrassment. Steve sat down in his seat, gesturing to her plate.

STEVE: It’s fine, sweetheart. Don’t go so fast, alright? You’ll hurt yourself.

Ellie began eating once more, now half the speed. The camera zoomed out as they ate dinner, exiting through the window and entering the woods. The camera then travelled all the way to the Byers house where it landed on Will Byers getting a glass of water from the kitchen. As he returned to bed, the camera focused not on Will, but on the small crack in his wall that was growing bigger, a red glow emanating from the other side.

A claw wiggled through the split in the wall, followed by a low growl as the full hand came through.

Some things cannot be prevented.]

“What does that mean? Some things can’t be prevented? Is something going to happen to Will?” Jonathan panicked, looking to the Woman for answers. She did not answer. If she had, Jonathan had the feeling it would have been the same answer she’d be giving all night. You’ll see.

“Must be a canon event,” Eddie mused. Everyone turned to look at him. “I don’t know, it just sounds like this comic book thing, sorry.”

“Holy shit, you might be onto something,” Jeff exclaimed.

“Canon event?” Nancy questioned, “what does that even mean?”

Jeff just turned to Eddie, “You know more about this shit than I do.” Eddie just sighed, running a hand over his face.

“Well, in Marvel Comics, there’s this thing called a canon event. There’s multiple different universes, but a canon event is when something in a universe cannot be changed and will happen no matter what you do. Like, if a character in one universe was destined to die, you could change every single factor possible, but at the end of the day the person would die regardless. The universe doesn’t care how it happens, as long as it does.  Otherwise, the universe collapses on itself, although I imagine that part is exclusive to comic books.”

“So, you think all the stuff Steve and Robin did to stop Will from being attacked by whatever that thing was, means nothing in the end?” Nancy questioned. Eddie just shrugged.

“I mean, it’s a thought. But like I said, it’s comic book stuff; not exactly proven science. That doesn’t mean they didn’t change anything, just the specific event has to happen. Maybe things’ll change because they found that little girl a day early. Who knows?”