After being thrown into the world of the Upside Down, Gwen Henderson now has to deal with something even more sinister. All while being forced to work with the boy she hates most, Steve Harrington.
Season 2 - Season 4
Steve Harrington x fem OC
Compl...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
(Ep. 8: Papa)
The sun paints the trailer with a golden color. Its rays bounce throughout the walls and cast a light orange shadow on everyone's faces, offering an embracing warmth despite the coldness of the room.
Steve is sitting next to Gwen with his hand placed on hers. He's terrified of letting her out of his sight, worried that Vecna could return and attempt to take her back. He can tell whatever he showed her affected her and left her deeply scarred, but she tries maintaining a low profile to not worry the others even more.
Like that's going to work. Everyone can see something terrible happened in her trance and as much as they want to know, they're not sure how to go on about the situation. They're just happy she's back and alive. That she chose to fight and didn't let that monster win. Whatever he showed her can wait as long she's safe and sound.
Gwen takes a deep breath and glances at everyone, who keep staring at her like they're afraid something is going to happen. "He showed me things that haven't happened yet," her voice is low and tremulous, causing everyone to become much more attentive. "A dark cloud was spreading over Hawkins, Downtown was on fire, there were lots of dead soldiers, and a giant creature with a gaping mouth."
"If you're not ready to tell us, you don't have to," Nancy reassures her while sitting herself next to her and placing an arm around her shoulder.
"You guys need to know. If what he showed me is bound to happen, we need to be prepared," her leg bounces up and down vigorously, her eyes watering with haste at the memory, as the pressure on her chest worsens. "That monster wasn't alone. There were others, almost like they were an army. They were coming into Hawkins, into our neighborhoods, our homes, and then-"
The image of her mom, Dustin, Steve, and everyone she loves dying at the hands of those creatures burns her memory. She's beyond terrified that this wasn't just Vecna's way of torturing her, but that it's actually a glimpse into the future. She doesn't know what she'd do if that's truly everyone's destiny... to die at the hands of him despite doing everything right to stay alive.
"I saw mom, Dustin, you... Steve," she squeezes his hand tighter, causing him to move closer and hold her in an embrace. Her breathing is shaky as tears stream down her cheeks, "And all of you were..." her voice fades into an unnerving silence and everyone exchanges equally concerned looks when realizing what she means.
"He's just trying to scare you, Gwen," Steve tries comforting her, "What he showed you, it's not real. It's not going to happen."
"I was supposed to die," Gwen knows the reason why Vecna revealed his plan to her and it's not so she could tell everyone and give them a heads up. "He only showed me this because he believed I would take his secret to the grave."
"No," he argues, refusing to have the image of her dying become imprinted in his mind. "You weren't going to die, so please don't say that."
She averts her gaze to the ground beneath her, "He also showed me gates. Four, to be exact, and they were spreading all over Hawkins. They looked like the one outside Eddie's trailer, but they continued growing. This wasn't Upside Down Hawkins. This was our Hawkins."
