wanted - Eddie Munson

scoops troop

July 4th, 1985

"What is that?" Erica breathed in disgust as she leaned closer, watching the thing move around to a new part of El's leg.

"There's something in there." Mike declared as he held El's hand.

"Keep her talking. Keep her awake, okay?" Jonathon ordered before running off. Keeping her awake didn't seem to be the issue, but trying to keep her focused on anything other than the pain? That was something different. Mike and Max were at her side, doing anything they could to keep her distracted but it was all in vain. Nothing worked, she was still screaming and sobbing and wailing from the pain.

"Hey, El. Hey, hey. It's Beth, Max's sister." I tried to get her attention as I squatted down next to my sister. A pushed a stray bit of hair from her face and tried my best to comfort her. "Hey, just think of those comic books that my sister has. Do you remember the one about Wonder Woman? She's awesome, right?"

It seemed to be working a bit. She looked up at me with tear-filled eyes, her face still twisted up in anguish but she wasn't screaming. She nodded slightly and I smiled the best that I could.

"Yeah, she's pretty cool. She's kinda like you if you think about it. She's super strong and tough, she's got an awesome wardrobe, a great fighter, and she's pretty." I explained and El sheepishly smiled as a sob wracked through her chest.

"Pretty." She confirmed and I nodded.

"Thank you," Max whispered from next to me. Her hand still tightly holding El's. I nodded and smiled at my sister whose face was coated in worry for her fried.

I looked back down at her and saw that her eyelids were starting to fall. Mike and Max saw it at the same time I did, immediately ushering for her to stay awake before trying to move her to a better spot.

"You know, it's not actually that bad. There was a... the goalie on my soccer team, Betty Wildfire, this other girl slid into her leg. The whole bone came out of her knee, it was like six inches or something, it was insane." Robin rambled, trying her best to help this stressful situation. We all stared up at her in confusion.

"Robin," Steve said, getting her attention and cutting off her rambling.

"Yeah?"

"You're not helping."

"I'm sorry." She muttered, obviously uncomfortable.

Thankfully, Jonathan got back right after with a knife in hand. "Okay. Alright, El? This is gonna hurt like hell, okay?"

She sobbed out an 'okay' in response, leaning into Mike as he held her up under her arms.

"I need you to stay really still. Here, you're gonna wanna bite down on this." He said as he handed her a wooden spoon and put on gloves. He brought the knife close to her leg and hesitated but Mike reassured him and we all took a deep breath.

He sliced against the welt and El screamed around the spoon, holding onto Mike for dear life. All of us were trying to hold back our gags but when Jonathan dug his fingers into the cut, we couldn't hold back anymore. He continued to move his fingers around, searching for the thing in her leg.

"Jonathan!" Nancy yelled as El screamed in pain.

"Stop talking!" He ordered, getting frustrated that he couldn't find it. "Goddamnit!"

"No! Stop it!" El screamed as she took the spoon out of her mouth. She sobbed as he retracted his fingers, grunting in pain. She sat up and looked at her leg. "I can do it. I can do it."

Silence surrounded us as El held her hand up to her leg, beckoning the creature out. Wailing in pain as she caused it to move as we all sat in fear and shock. We could see the creature get closer and closer to the opening, hearing it as she pulled it out with her mind. Letting out a long-winded and loud scream as she pulled it out, the glass window behind us shattered from the power. I blocked Max from the shards as I wrapped my arm around her and she leaned into me. The lights all around us were flickering as the creature floated in mid-air before El sent it flying several feet away from us.