Vecna's Redemption (Vecna x Reader)

Through the Smoke and Flames

You wake up and immediately start to cough. Smoke fills your lungs and your eyes start to water. Broken glass is scattered everywhere and tree branches have pinned you to your seat. You turn your head slightly to look at Mrs. Whitmore. There she is, a huge gash on her temple with blood pouring out of it; and a large stick from another fallen branch speared through her chest. You want to scream, throw up, do anything at all but the smoke is too much. No, this can't be happening. She can't be dead, and I can't die! "I refuse..." you choke out, struggling to unbuckle your seat belt.

Succeeding to unbuckle, you try to open your door but its jammed. You struggle to see out the window but its too dark and the smoke is already blinding. No matter how hard you shake the handle the door just won't budge. Chest burning, tears streaming down your face, you roll down your window trying to get any fresh air at all. Reality sets in, and you realize that nobody will come to rescue you until you are long dead. The car will probably blow up soon, you realize with dread. Suddenly a memory flashes in your head...being strangled and suffocated...and a man saving you. Desperate delirium pushes you to say one word..."Help." You start to drift, your eyesight going blurry. But through the haze you see something peculiar.

The branches are being lifted through the broken windshield, seemingly on their own. You hear rustling on the other side of your door and it opens. You want to keep your eyes open, but they close against your will. You start to pass out but you can feel yourself being lifted by strong, secure arms. You feel safe.

Your eyes flicker open from time to time and you start to take raspy breaths of fresh air. Looking up you see the face of a man. It is familiar, but you're not sure where you've seen him before. Suddenly you remember your dream from last night. Strange...he looks exactly like the man in my dream..."Henry," you say to yourself under your breath. He looks into your eyes briefly then looks ahead of him.

You're in the woods now, off to the side of the road. He gently leans you against a tree, and kneels beside you. You're more awake now, and when you look at him you start to cry.

You now remember everything from last night. "It wasn't a dream," you say to Henry. He slowly wipes tears from your cheeks.

"So you remember," he whispers.

"Of course I do...now, at least...Henry, I'm so confused." You bury your face in your hands and sob. You remember Mrs. Whitmore and look back at the crashed car, now up in flames. Utter despair and guilt drenches your soul.

"Everything will be alright. Nothing else will ever happen to you." Henry takes you into his arms and you lean on him, staining his collar with your tears. Its oddly comforting, considering you barely know the man. You've only met once, and to top that he's some supernatural being who lives in another world. But even so, he's all I have, you think.

You feel him shudder and pull away, a pained expression on his flawless face. "What's wrong?" you ask, concern lacing your voice. His eyes meet yours, as if they're trying to tell you something. Get out of here, a deep, powerful whisper in your head commands you. Stunned, you stand up weakly. This place is dangerous for you. I can't protect you if you remain here with me. Go.

"What's happening?" you hear rustling in the distance and see a girl emerge from the trees. She has a fierce expression on her face.

Henry looks at you and with urgency tells you to get out of here.

"Stay away from her, Vecna," the girl says as she lifts her right arm. Henry crashes back-first into the trunk of a tree and you scream.

"What do you think you're doing!? Leave him alone!" You shout. The girl looks at you, shocked.

"Don't you see what a monster he is? How hideous and evil he is? He's a liar and a murderer!" she gestures to Henry, rolling on his side and standing up. "He is a bad man."

"No, he's not a monster. He is kind and he would never hurt anybody! He saved my life." The girl shakes her head at you and turns to Henry furiously.

"He's just showing you what he wants you to see. He's a monster." Henry lifts his left arm and aims it at the girl. "Go ahead, Vecna. Show her your true self. No more lies." Henry glares at the girl and looks at you with an unidentifiable look in his eyes. You stare at them both, not sure you believe what is happening. Henry's face shimmers away and what is revealed underneath is a horrifying mutation of a man. Slimy vines slither around his whole body and you start to shake.

"Now you see," the girl says to you, "run." You nod and run in the opposite direction, the way you think is back to Mrs. Whitmore's house. What is he? The girl was right about his appearance...but what about killing people? Your eyes sting as you try to dodge branches and bushes. Your clothes are torn by brambles and you trip over a tree root and fall. If he's really such a monster, why would he save me so many times? You think of Henry's handsome face, and Vecna's hideous features. Their eyes are the same. They are the same person. What could he have been through to turn him into that? You shudder, still on the damp forest floor.

A twig snaps. The hair on the back of your neck stands up and you pray no one can see you lying there.

"It's just me," the girl's voice, softer now, coming closer to you. "Are you alright?"

"I'm not sure," you sit up and take a good look at her face. Her nose is bleeding and she looks tired. "What is your name?" You're curious about this powerful girl sitting in front of you.

"My name is Eleven." She's showing you a tattoo on her wrist that says "011". You touch it without thinking. How odd. "Your name?"

You sigh and shrug. "I don't know what my name is." Eleven looks puzzled and puts her hand on yours. "So..." you start, "what happened to Henry to make him the way he is?" Eleven looks down and her eyes water.

"It was my fault," she begins, "he used to be good, but then bad men took him and tortured him. We are the same. I am Eleven, and he is One. The first experiment..." she takes a deep breath. "He was a slave to the bad men, and on the day we were to escape together he left me and killed all of them out of revenge...even our brothers and sisters-" her voice is breaking. "I fought him and sent him to the Upside Down, the world under this one. He was lonely, and very angry. Now he's taking his anger out on me by killing other people." You look at her, trying to piece everything together. "He is a monster now."

You don't know what to say. He is just a man. A broken man. You take a shaky breath..."But if he was truly a monster, he would have killed me when he had the chance. He can be saved." Your heart aches for him. You can't even imagine the pain he's been through. "Everyone deserves a second chance. The fact that he saved me so many times is proof of that."

"I wish I could believe you," Eleven said with a broken voice.

"I will prove it to you," you say bravely. You stand up and start limping back to the place where they fought. You notice something weird on a tree. Strange snow is drifting out of it, and slime coats the bark. there seems to be a hole with pale light shining through.

"That is a gate to the Upside Down. There are other monsters there that live solely to kill humans," Eleven begs you not to go. "If you go you will die." You ignore her warnings and crawl through the hole. She reluctantly follows you. When you emerge on the other side, you are in the Upside Down.

To be continued