Breathe ⭐️ Reddie

52

Henry's father pushed the teenagers out of the way and gently lifted El to the couch. Henry scrambled off and limped toward a closed cupboard where he pulled out a black briefcase.

Eddie narrowed his eyes, recognizing it as the same one he had lost on his first real mission.

Henry chuckled, opening it. "Recognize it Kaspbrack? They told you it was a drug deal, huh? Nope, they thought the trade was with members of another Hive, but we intercepted." Henry pulled out a bottle of a clear liquid and filled a syringe with it. "This case has the supplies to help powered people be more docile. The Hive uses it to manipulate them, but we use it to help them calm down when they're stressed out."

Eddie looked at the liquid in fascination, until Henry held the syringe to El's leg. "Don't fucking touch her," he said, walking over to stand between the two.

"Step back, kid," Henry's dad said, looking annoyed. "It'll help her stay calm. We're not here to hurt her."

Eddie reluctantly stepped away, allowing Henry to inject the liquid into El, who shuddered in her sleep but stopped breathing as quickly.

"You really aren't the enemy," Stan said, looking between Henry and his father.

"No, we're not. We may not be good people, but we aren't power hungry psychopaths looking to use powered people to take control," Henry's dad said, putting a cool rag on El's head.

Eddie didn't know what to say. He had been wrong; the Hive had been played them since they were kids, and now their friends and family had to pay the price.

El woke up a feel moments later, rubbing her eyes. Henry handed her a bottle from the briefcase, and El took it, reading the label. She smiled at Henry and took a long drink of it, calming down even further.

"I'm El," she said, holding out her hand.

Henry took it, shaking it firmly. "Henry."

Henry's dad then went up to her and shook her hand next. "Butch. Can you tell us what you saw? Why you panicked?" Butch asked, sitting on the ground next to the couch.

Eddie and Stan looked at each other, realizing that El had been right. The Scorpions were trying to protect her.

"I saw Richie. He's being forced to work with the Hive. If he doesn't, Mike dies."

Eddie shuddered at the thought of Richie being forced to work for an evil organization. Not only that, but surly Mike was in pain as well.

"What are they making him do?" Henry asked, knowing that Richie was among the smartest, so they must have him doing something major.

"I'm not sure... when I saw Richie he was asleep. I know it's risky, but I may be able to communicate with him while he's in his head," El said.

Butch shared an uncertain glance with Henry. They both were okay with Richie dying, but if what he was doing cost the safety of innocent people, they couldn't ignore it.

"Are you feeling up to it?" Eddie asked.

El nodded, then turned her attention to Henry and Butch waiting for their okay. Butch sighed but gave her a small nod, leaving the room to grab the things she would need to find them.

•••

Richie's head throbbed with all of the information he had been given, plus his exhaustion from all of the work he had been forced to do.

Zack had ordered him to make sure the bomb had enough energy to destroy a whole state, and made Richie watch one of Zack's workers electrocute Mike when he refused.

Richie knew that innocent people would die, and it would be his fault. When he almost passed out from exhaustion, Zack sent him back to Eddie's room, telling him he had seven hours to rest.

He had just barely fallen asleep when he felt someone calling his name. The voice... it was familiar.

Richie opened his eyes, but he knew he wasn't awake. Instead, he opened his eyes to a dark... void.

"Hello?" he called, his voice echoing in the space.

"Richie." the voice called again.

Richie smiled, recognizing it. "El?" he asked, and in front of him, El appeared. She seemed misty, almost see through.

"I don't have much time. This is taking a lot of my energy. I need to know: what is the Hive planning?" El asked, speaking quickly, sounding almost breathless.

Richie sighed and began to tell everything he knew. "Zack is torturing Mike, forcing me to work on some bomb. He said he wants me to make sure it can destroy a whole state. He said the Hive is the future. I think they're trying to take over, maybe destroy a state or some government facility?"

El paused for a minute, her figure fading in and out, communicating information to the people she was with.

"What's the bomb made of? Is it one big bomb, or is it made of smaller ones?" El asked eventually.

Richie smirked, glad El was with people who knew what they were doing. "It's made of a bunch of smaller ones. They can separate."

"So it's possible that it could be targeting multiple places?" El asked after a short pause.

Richie's eyes widened at the realization, and he felt his breathing quicken. "Yes..." he whispered, feeling himself shake in terror.

El's misty figure moved toward Richie, grabbing his hand. He felt nothing, but the comfort was there nonetheless.

"Richie, you need to postpone what you're doing. I love Mike, and I know you do too, but we need to see the bigger picture. If they're targeting important places and buildings or even people, we need to stop them."

"I can't stop them on my own!" Richie cried, terrified to let his brother get hurt. Even if it meant saving other people.

"It's okay. We're coming to help you, I promise. We'll save you all." El began to fade, signaling she had very little time to keep talking to Richie.

"El?"

"Yes?" she asked, now just a white, misty outline.

"Tell Eddie I love him and that I'm sorry I stayed behind, and that i miss him and can't wait to see him again? And that everything is going to be okay? I know he's probably had a few panic attacks over this whole situation."

Richie couldn't see El's smile, but he heard her soft laugh. "I'll tell him. Hold on, we'll be there soon."

With that, Richie opened his eyes for real, taking in Eddie's room around him.

"Postpone... don't let them win..."