HIGHER and HIGHER - Steve Harrington x Reader

xxxii - soulmates

— 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 —

I FOLLOW Dustin and Mike as we walk down the school hallway. They bring me to a door that led to the storage room for drama club and I followed in behind them.

"You asked for a sub. We delivered." Dustin says to Eddie.

Eddie was sitting in a throne-like chair, which I'm assuming was a drama prop, at the end of a table.

"(Y/N)? This is Hellfire Club. This isn't a beginners class." Eddie says.

I scoff and roll my eyes.

"I probably know more than you think I do, Munson." I say.

"Oh yeah? What's your class and level? Level one dwarf?" He asks, standing up from his chair and making his way over to me.

"I'm a chaotic good half-elf rogue, level fourteen, and I will sneak behind any monster you throw my way and stab them in the back with my poison-soaked kukuri. I will smile as I watch them die a slow, agonizing death." I say, standing inches away from his face, "So, are we ready to do this?"

Eddie stares at me for a moment, then a smile slowly creeps on his face. He then extends his hand out to me.

"Welcome to Hellfire." He says.

I grab his hand and give it a firm shake, then make my way to the table.

We start off the game and Eddie lays out the story. I don't interact much and just wait for Dustin and Mike to tell me what to do.

"The hooded cultists chant, 'Hail Lord Vecna'. They turn to you, remove their hoods. You recognize most of them from Makbar. But there is one you do not recognize, his skin shriveled, desiccated. And something else. He is not only missing his left arm, but his left eye!" Eddie says.

The table erupts in screams of displeasure.

"Vecna's dead!" Jeff exclaims.

"He was killed by Kas!" Mike adds.

"So it was thought, my friends. So it was thought. But Vecna lives." Eddie says, slamming a small figurine on the table.

"You are scared. You're tired. You are injured. Do you flee Vecna and his cultists? Or do you stand your ground and fight?" Eddie asks.

We all sit in silence as we think about what we are going to do.

"Come on." Eddie beckons.

Dustin puts his hand up to signal Eddie to wait.

"I say we fight." Dustin says, "To the death."

"To the death." Mike agrees.

"To the death." I agree.

"To the death! To the death!" We all being chanting

I roll the dice and get the right amount to hit Vecna. The table cheers, then Mike rolls. He doesn't roll high enough, which sends a member of our army down. Mike slams the table in defeat and Jeff takes the dice. He doesn't roll enough either, knocking another member down. We all groan and continue to take turns to roll the dice. This continues for a whole, until we decide to call a time out to strategize. We all walk away from the table and huddle together, leaving Eddie at the table by himself.

"Guys, I hate to say this, but we've got to flee." Gareth says.

"I concur." Another member of the club says.

"Didn't we just agree 'to the death'?" I ask.

"That wasn't literal!" Gareth says.

"Vecna just decimated us. We can't kill him with two players." Jeff says.