A Threnody of Tears | Steve Harrington ✓

Chapter Sixteen

After collecting all the materials for their weapons and making a narrow escape from the War Zone, the group stopped in a grassy field off the main road to construct the weapons and finalise each phase in their plan. 

Maggie sat with Steve and Robin by the camper, prepping the gasoline for the Molotov cocktails they had planned on creating, her eyes tracing the field to find everyone in their own little groups prepping their individual weapons. 

She smiled at the sight of Dustin and Eddie sparring with their makeshift shields. Dustin's shout of "No wedgies! No wedgies!" echoing across the field. 

"I'll be right back." She said quietly to the pair beside her, before walking over to the boys. "You guys do realise that the point of being in a secluded field is that we are hiding, which isn't so easily done when you two are yelling every other word." 

"Sounds like you are just jealous of these shields," Dustin replied jokily, holding up the nailed trash can lids. He had already enjoyed Maggie's presence before, relishing in the fact that she seemed to understand his references when no one else did and he couldn't be more excited that with her recent developments with Steve, he knew that she was here to stay.  

Maggie smiled in his direction before turning to Eddie. "You know I never got a chance to thank you for saving my life." 

Eddie turned in her direction with a smile, draping his arm over her shoulders. "It's no problem, Mags. Gotta keep you around no matter how annoying you are." 

Maggie nudged him slightly in the side, the two breaking into laughter. Eddie held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, I deserved that." 

Back near the camper, Steve watched the interaction with a smile. He was just happy to see Maggie happy, knowing how much her experience with Vecna had taken a toll on her. He dragged his eyes away from her, looking towards Robin who still looked a little forlorn, her situation with Vickie lingering on his mind. 

"It just doesn't make sense," Steve said, shaking his head. 

Robin looked up at him. "What doesn't make sense?" 

"That was Dan Shelter," Steve explained. "He graduated, like, two years ago." 

"So?" Robin shrugged unamused, too focused on pouring gasoline down a funnel. 

"So, he's in college. Which means he was visiting on spring break. Fast Times was returned, like, I don't know, a week ago, right? Unless she's got some horndog brother we don't know about. Which is possible. Or she's just really into Judge Reinhold?" 

 "Steve!" Robin interrupted him from his ramble. "I don't care. I don't understand why you do either with everything that's going on. Honestly, this feels like a perfect time for that little pull of the rug cause as much I am happy for you and Maggie and the fact that you finally listened to me that your perfect girl was right in front of you this whole time, honestly in the face of the world ending the stakes of my love life feel spectacularly low."

Steve nodded. "Yeah. I mean, I get you there, but... I still have hope."

"Not everything has a happy ending."

"But if anyone deserves it, it's you, Robin," Maggie interjected, walking back to them and picking up their finished Molotovs and moving them to one side. 

Robin gave her a small smile, before continuing on with her next thought. "I just... I have this terrible, gnawing feeling that... it might not work out for us this time."

"You think we shouldn't be doing this?" Steve asked.

"I think we're mad fools, the lot of us, but......but if we don't stop him, who will?" Robin questioned, looking over at the friends at her side before looking over the rest of her friends that were gathered in small groups across the field. 

 "We have to try, right?" Maggie started. "I mean that's what we should do." 

"Yeah," Steve agreed, before holding up a bottle of gasoline. "To killing Vecna."

"Slash Henry." Robin continued, holding up another bottle. 

Maggie smiled. "Slash One." She finished, clinking the bottle in her hand with the others. 

With newly created weapons in hand, the group headed back to the camper ready to put their plan into action, soon pulling up to the Creel House with Max, Lucas and Erica getting out. 

As Max moved to get it, Maggie reached out a hand to stop her. "I meant what I said, okay? The second you are done with it let me know."

"I will, thanks for everything Mags." She returned with a small smile, before exiting the camper. Steve soon pulled off towards Eddie's trailer, before he pulled it off again on a covered road near the trailer park. 

"Okay. I wanna run through it one more time." Nancy started.  "Phase one."

 "We meet Erica at the playground," Robin recalled. 

"And she'll signal Max and Lucas when we're ready," Maggie added. 

 "Phase two." Nancy prompted. 

 "Max baits Vecna. He'll go after her, which'll put him in his trance." Steve said.  

"Phase three" 

"Me and Eddie draw the bats away," Dustin said. 

"Four."

 "We head into Vecna's newly bat-free lair, and..." She trailed off, moving the Molotov in her hand "...flambé."

Nancy nodded. "Nobody moves on to the next phase until we've all copied. Nobody deviates from the plan, no matter what. Got it?"

 "Got it."

Everyone gathered their weapons, moving towards Eddie's trailer.

 "Be careful," Dustin said warily. 

"Thanks, buddy." Steve returned. "Here goes nothing." He said as he easily pulled himself up the rope, and landed with ease into the Upside Down. He looked back up to the rest of the group with a small shrug and a smug smile. 

 Robin rolled her eyes, nudging both Maggie and Nancy in the sides. "Wow, what does he want us to do, applaud?"

Steve dragged Eddie's mattress to use as a landing pad once more, looking up at everyone. "Alright. Let's go."

One by one everyone and their weapons made it through to the other side once more. Maggie couldn't help but shiver, she hated the fact that she had to come back so soon, she never wanted to come back to the Upside Down after Vecna was gone. 

 "Hey, guys, listen," Steve said, turning to Eddie and Dustin. "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. 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 finished. "Don't worry. You can be the hero, Steve."

"Absolutely." Eddie agreed. "I mean, look at us. We are not heroes." 

Everyone moved to say their goodbyes as Maggie immediately moved to pull Eddie into a hug. "You be safe okay?" Maggie said earnestly. "I'll see you when this is all over and we can go visit Kaira, sound good?"

"Sounds perfect. You stay safe too Mags, okay?" Eddie returned. "Can't lose another Fulmer sister." 

"You won't I promise." She said before pulling back and moving away with Robin, Nancy and Steve when Eddie called after them. 

"Hey, guys? Make him pay."