He Who Controls the Flame (001 fanfic)

Chapter Thirty Six- Pineapple Pizza and a Plan

If someone had told me I'd be pumping gas, in the middle of the California desert, with an avid D and D player, a photographer, a pizza-maker, a supernatural girl and said supernatural girl's boyfriend...I probably would have laughed at them.

I took the nozzle out and put it back into the slot, closing the gas tank. It swung back out and I frowned, pushing it back down again but it only popped back out. I let out a growl, slamming my hand down again, leaving a charred black mark on the paint. Shit.

"Yeah, she's a bit of a trouble maker, that one," Argyle said, coming up at my side. He slammed his hip against the cap and it closed with a final slam. "There she goes. She's stubborn, but she's a good one."

"Thanks," I said, smiling up at him. He smelt a bit like weed, and that hazy look in his eyes told me he was definitely on something, but he was sweet and had helped me close the gas tank before I exploded his car accidentally...so as of right now, I liked him.

"I have news," Eleven said, popping up from the other side of the car. I flinched, bumping into Argyle, whose hair swung back at me and hit my cheek. Damn, it was really soft. I made a mental note to ask him what conditoner he used when we weren't trying to save the world from peril.

"What is it?" I asked, wrapping my arms around myself, trying to protect my bare skin from the chill of the desert night.

"I just mind-jumped to Max's mind and found out that her and the others are going to try and kill Vecna."

"Vecna," I breathed. "But we do know who that is yet."

"Isn't it...Peter?" She seemed wary, her brows drawing in.

"No," I said firmly. "We don't know that yet." I couldn't think of him like that. Like a monster. Just thinking that it was him killed me. I couldn't believe it yet, not until I saw it with my own two eyes.

"So we're still going with the whole sister plot?" Mike asked, glancing at me.

"Yes, as of now, that's who's running this. We don't know who Vecna is."

"So many names," Argyle murmured, to which Jonothan nodded.

I waved a hand at them. "What else?" I asked Eleven.

"They're going to use Max as bait to lure Vecna in and then while his physical, unconscious form is in the Upside Down, they're going to kill him while he's vulnerable."

"There's so many holes in that plan," I muttered before pausing. "Wait, you said they're using Max as bait? They're going to offer her up to Alice just like that?!"

"They think that they'll kill her and Vecna in time, before they're able to sacrifice Max to rip open Hawkins and 'remake the world.'" She said, looking a little confused at that part. "At least, that was their theory. That Max was the final life that Vecna –Alice– needed for her to destroy Hawkins."

"Oh Jesus," I muttered, rubbing at my forehead. "So what do we do? We can't let Max get hurt."

"I know," Eleven said. "Which is why I'm going to piggyback."

We all stared at her with furrowed brows and she rolled her eyes, walking around to the other side of the car. We followed her and saw she was drawing stick figures in the dust of the window.

"This is Max," she said, pointing to a crudely drawn figure with squiggly hair. "And this is Vecna." She pointed to another stick figure. "I can go into Max's head while Vecna is trying to get into hers, and I can fight off Vecna...possibly kill him-" I shot her a look. "I mean Alice."

"Mind fight," Argyle said. "Righteous."

"It's a good idea," Mike said, staring at the drawing.

"No," I said, shaking my head. "You're not going in alone. It's too dangerous."