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Bradley watched Peter in worry. He could hear Lucas walking around upstairs, wanting to do the same but resulted in tapping his foot. The more seconds that passed, the higher his anxiety went. Right when he didn't think it could get worse, it did.
A creak from outside of the door.
Bradley shifted his gaze. "Lucas?"
Nothing.
"Erica?" he asked, knowing it wasn't Max. Nothing. Bradley looked away, but it creaked again. He swallowed in fear, standing up and checking on Peter before walking to the door. "Lucas, did you-"
He yelled out when he was hit across the face with a crow bar, hitting the ground. Bradley held his face in pain with a wince, looking over quickly to see who it was that had attacked him.
Shane Clarke.
Peter ran across the gym floor after El yanked Vecna away, the redhead hitting the ground. "Max."
She winced, looking up as he kneeled beside her and held her. They both looked over, watching El levitate Vecna in the air as her nose bleed. His body turned to face her as she slowly moved her wrist, breathing deeply against her power with a growl. "You."
"Hi." El whispered, throwing her hand and chunking him through the bleachers.
"Yeah!" Peter laughed with a bright smile, holding his arm out as El ran to them, the trio hugging each other tightly.
"Are you okay?" El held the back of Max's head as they pulled back.
"Are you real?" Max stared at El in disbelief, pinching her face and feeling her head, looking at Peter. "Weren't we suppose to go together?"
"Think he had a little change of plans." Peter exhaled.
"So, you're real but is-" Max scanned El over again. "Did I make you?"
El took her hand, the hand that was already holding Peters as the trio squeezed. "I'm real."
"How?" Max breathed out.
"I piggybacked from a pizza dough freezer." El said casually.
Peter pursed just lips. "Yeah, she did."
He pulled the two into a hug again, finally feeling whole again with the both of them. That's where it started, just the three of them. That day at the mall, the best day of his life, it was just the three of them. If it had been just the three of them, no matter how much he loved all how friends, it would have been more then enough.
The rustling clatter made them pull apart, turning back to where El tossed Vecna moments before. Pushing through the streamers, they all watched as he emerged from the hole he made, growling lowly and cracking his neck. El stood infront of the two. "Stay back."
Peter took Max's hand as El let his go, walking forward as her and Vecna met in the middle. El exhaled. "If you touch them again, I will kill you again."
