for ididntrun

[spikedbats]

[ Everyone has been biding their time. There really wasn't much that they could do but wait. Vecna might not have been successful in his attempt to rip open a rift between the Upside Down and Hawkins, but he was still out there. Max and Will could still feel him, and Nancy confirmed that they didn't find a body when they rinsed him with shotgun pellets and Molotov cocktails.

Steve hates waiting more than anything. For as much time as he spends in the plotting meetings, he walks away feeling utterly useless, like he's just there because everyone takes pity on him. Hell, even Eddie is more involved since his plan with the guitar worked, had driven the bats away long enough for Steve's team to make it into the Creel house in the Upside Down.

The worst of it all is Steve hasn't been sleeping. How could he sleep when every time he closes his eyes he's faced with a new nightmare? And to top it all off, there's a voice in his head, a relentless voice that sounds a lot like his own father, reminding him just how useless he is, and how if he wants to make himself useful, he has a choice.

They've never been so on edge with preparations before. Then again, with each encounter with the Upside Down, they remained convinced that they rid the world of all the possible portals, only to find out yet another loophole. So of course Steve can't sleep, knowing that Vecna, that Henry is still out there. It feels silly to go about their lives as if Armageddon isn't on their doorstep.

And maybe all that sleep deprivation is starting to catch up to him, to the point where he's starting to have nightmares during the day now. Starts seeing flashes of the Upside Down, much in the same way Will had back when he was being taunted by the Mind Flayer. He should probably be more concerned, but it's just a nightmare, and just a byproduct of not sleeping enough, that's all.

That voice, though, it starts offering him a way to feel useful. And Steve, well, he doesn't have the resolve to fight it. So he doesn't.

If the nightmares cease to happen after he agrees to be useful, well. It's probably not related.

Steve has been staring off into space again at yet another one of these planning meetings. At least, that's what it looks like. And who can really blame him, considering he hasn't been factored into their plans at all? It's not like he has anything to offer. When he feels a nudge next to him, he blinks back into focus, and for a split second, he thinks he can see vines and tentacles weaving their way through Hopper's cabin. He turns to look at Eddie with eyebrows furrowed and gives him a shrug, tries to convince him that he's fine.

He gestures to the door and doesn't wait for a response from Eddie before he moves to slip out, suddenly in need of a cigarette.

And somewhere, far off in the distance, can be heard a screeching sound. The noise should bother Steve, and yet for some reason he feels a strange sense of comfort from it instead. It's time, the voice in the back of his head informs him. ]