••••• "Don't don't you want me? / You know I can't believe it when you say that you don't need me" •••••
"This might be the stupidest thing I've ever gotten myself involved in, but I'm in."
In which Steve Harrington and Kimberly Henderson go from be...
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Still an invisible ghost in Henry Creel's memories, Kim watched as Doctor Brenner tattooed 001 onto the young boy's pale skin.
"All done," Brenner said, wiping away any excess ink. "Not so bad, was it? See, there's nothing to be afraid of. Is there, Kimberly?"
Kim's eyes grew wide with terror as Brenner's head snapped in her direction. His eyes were a startling blue, Vecna's, not his own.
"Why don't you take a seat?" his voice was distorted like Vecna was speaking through Brenner.
Kim ran out of the room and into a hallway littered with bodies. The white tile walls were cracked and blood was smeared on every surface. Hawkins Lab. It had to be. She couldn't imagine growing up here the way El had.
She shook the thought out of her head, taking off at a sprint for the door at the end of the hallway.
•••••
"Kimmy!" Steve screamed. "Kim, just stay with me. Stay with me, okay? Whatever you guys are doing up there, hurry up!"
The rest of the group clambored around Eddie's room, searching frantically for a cassette Eddie already knew he didn't have. But he would look anyway. He would look for Kim's sake.
"What is all this shit?" Robin yelled, rummaging through the heavy metal.
"What are you even looking for?" Lucas asked, bringing over more of Eddie's music.
"Don't You Want Me by Human League!" Nancy yelled, knowing the connection the song had to Kimmy and Steve.
"She likes Queen a-and Led Zeppelin," Eddie pointed out. "I know have something of theirs."
"No!" Dustin screamed. "It needs to be something with a strong memory!"
"We need real music!" Robin exclaimed, throwing a Motötorhead cassette against the wall out of frustration.
"This is music!" Eddie yelled, just as hysterical as everyone else.
Nancy ran out to the living room of the trailer. "Steve, he doesn't have it."
"Of course he doesn't," Steve said under his breath. "Son of a bitch!"
"Try singing it!" Nancy suggested.
"What?" Steve yelled, wondering if the portal between worlds was garbling what she had said.
"The two of you know every word to that song. Try singing it to her."
•••••
Kim ran down the hallway in Hawkins Lab, the lights continuing to flicker. When she got to the end of the hallway, she discovered the door was boarded up. She let out a scream of frustration before she started to tear at the beams, pulling one off the wall.
