#marco gets taken to monster pound town

[xamaxenta]

god i LOOOVEEE feral animal asl its so true. they truly could not care less about "laws" or "public decency" whatever that is. the straw hats manage with just luffy but the whitebeards sometimes have to deal with TWO of them? at ONCE? theyre used to ace because sometimes pirates are just like that, pops has seen plenty of them and hes just happy to see that nasty stray cat finally come inside to relax and he simply counts the shredded furniture as a Personality Trait to keep the house interesting. but then sabo rolls up and everyone at first chuckles and says oh well at least one of them has manners. except. sabo is secretly 4 ravenous feral dogs wearing a top hat. sabo is polite until the food comes out when he starts snarling and snapping (he and ace start wrestling on the floor BITING each other for a single chicken wing) or when he gets the Predator Stare and anyone who crosses within view of it feels their hair stand completely on end. marco has no particularly strong feelings about sabo when they first meet aside from "ace loves him, hes probably a freak, and he looks ridiculous dressed like that (kinda cute)" except. sometimes ace and sabo make noises at each other that are so far from human language they sound like an entirely different species. he swore one time he saw ace come up and just Lick the side of sabos face, who bit his whole ear in return like they were discussing the weather. there is something Wrong with sabo for sure. but its not until he and ace are bickering at the table and thatch throws a spare chunk of raw meat trimmings at ace (because theyve learned ace can and will eat raw meat, even the fatty or gristly bits, and as much as marco insists its not good At All for his health, the crew likes feeding large and dangerous animals) and as soon as the meat hits the table both ace and sabo go perfevtly still for roughly half a second before SABO lunges forward and grabs it in his TEETH while ace starts pummeling him for it. the top hat goes flying, theres the sound of the galley bench screeching across the floor and boots and fingernails scrabbling across the wood and the Chief Of Staff of the Revolutionary Army runs, hissing, on all fucking fours, with a chunk of raw meat in his mouth up the rigging while ace quite literally snaps at his heels. theres distant snarling and growling. sounds of tearing fabric. screams of shock and horror from the crew on the deck. and it is in that moment marco comes to the devastating realization that he is unfortunately attracted to sabo, and that his taste in men simply cannot be salvaged

Sabo standing there all prim and proper, all neatly buttoned up and his accent has this crisp edge to it like a winters morning flinty with fresh snow or perhaps new parchment waiting to be scored by the writers pen

And then Ace shows up and the mask slips abruptly something wicked spills past the pleasantries and hes kinda like fangs bared growly in a way only animals get with each other

Everyone up until this point knows the basic history Ace loves this guy, Sabo to put it bluntly would die to protect Ace with his life, they share a childhood the jungle that fucking jungle, this means Sabos also a beast but what kind theyre hoping if Ace is anything to go by he would be the same

Except Sabo brings out a monster in Ace and clearly hes so much worse, the raw meat spectacle and then the poor crowsnest lookout scrambling down trembling cold sweat like what the fuck happened to those two?

Eventually they comeback down sabos clothes are in tatters and Ace is just naked lmao theyre blood smeared and everyone hopes its the meat but its wishful thinking because thats way too much blood for a fist sized piece of flank steak

Marco unfortunately realises he has a type

Sabo pins him with a baleful pale eyed stare, those freaky mismatched eyes of his locked the fuck on, someone whos blind in one eye really shouldnt have that sort of focus, Ace headbutts him nippy bitey for being ignored but

Follows Sabos gaze and smiles

[hunnywrites]

Chapter Six: Snitches Get Stitches

Summary: The town of Hawkins has been turned upside down with the news that Will Byers has suddenly gone missing. Teddi Larsson and Billy Hargrove are gonna get to the bottom of things. Season one AU.

Pairing: Billy Hargrove/OFC

A/N: Poor Teddi. That’s all I really have to say. Just...poor Teddi

Teddi couldn’t hear Nancy’s voice anymore. She had been using Nancy’s cries for Johnathan almost like a very twisted game of Marco Polo. Just when she thought she was close enough to finally find Nancy, she heard that terrible screech from the Demogorgon. She hadn’t had any other choice but to hide. Teddi wouldn’t be any help to Nancy if she got herself eaten. 

Her hands were shaking as she crouched down as small as she could make herself by the trunk of a tree and fishing the black bic Billy had gotten her earlier that day out of her pocket. It wasn’t much, but it was something. She couldn’t let herself go down without a fight. 

Johnathan started to call for Nancy. Teddi shut her eyes tightly, praying that he would stop. Any sound would alert the monster. She could hear it slowly moving through the woods, searching for whoever had trespassed in it’s home. It was chasing after Nancy before Teddi could really process it. 

Nancy was headed back towards the tree Teddi had entered through. Nancy was screaming Johnathan’s name the entire way. She wasn’t going to make it on her own. The monster was too fast. Teddi reached blindly out in front of her for anything to throw. Her hand closed around a thick branch, and Teddi whipped around, throwing it towards the Demogorgon. She missed, but it had done its job. The branch bounced off the trunk of a tree, but it was enough to catch the creature’s attention if just or a second. 

The Demogorgon turned to look in Teddi’s direction. Teddi let out a gasp, sinking to the ground and using the tree for cover. She didn’t see if Nancy made it out. She just had to hope that she had. The monster let out a hiss like noise and started towards Teddi. She covered her mouth, trying to quiet herself as best as she could. Her cheeks and hand were slick with tears she hadn’t realized were running down her face. It purred as it crept closer to her. Like a cat that was finally going to catch the canary.

“Teddi!” it was Billy. His voice sounded far away, like Nancy’s had. Teddi couldn’t answer back. If she did she’d be dead. 

Billy ran as fast as his legs would carry him. He yelled Teddi’s name, his heart pounding faster in chest when there was still no response. Johnathan was close behind him, calling for Nancy and Teddi almost relentlessly. Billy’s breathing was harsh and uneven, his lungs on fire. He refused to think of all the possibilities of where Teddi could be.

“Johnathan!” it was Nancy. Her voice was hoarse as she called for him. Billy couldn’t tell where it was that her voice was coming from. Johnathan stopped in his tracks, whipping around as he flashed his flashlight in every direction.

“There,” Johnathan panted, pointing to a tree that sat in front of him. “I think- I think it’s coming from there.” he dropped to his knees, flashing his light at what looked like a hole that was small enough for someone or something to crawl through. 

“The hell is that?” Billy asked, looking at the slimy gateway in disgust. 

Johnathan shook his head. “I don’t know...but I’m willing to bet that’s where the girls are. Nancy!” he called again. He let out a shaky, relieved breath when she called back. “Nancy! I’m here! Follow my voice!” the two boys stood there, holding their breath for what felt like forever before Nancy’s hand finally shoved it’s way back through the gate. Billy and Johnathan moved at the same time, grabbing hold of her and pulling her out. 

Nancy fell on top of Johnathan, sobbing into his shoulder. “Was Teddi in there?” Billy asked. “Did you see her? See anyone else?” 

Nancy sniffed, looking up at Billy like she was surprised to see him. “What? No. No, there wasn’t anyone else but that thing...she didn’t go in after me, did she?” she asked, looking between the two boys. Neither of them had to answer. “We have to go back! We have to get her before the monster sees her-” she moved back towards the tree, but Johnathan pulled her back.

“You’re not going back in there. We’ll go.” he argued. 

Billy’s hands were balled up into tight fists. His palms stung from his nails digging into the skin. He didn’t know what to do. There was no way of knowing if Teddi had gone through the barrier or not. There was no way to know if the Demogorgon had already gotten to her, or if it was waiting for him on the other side. Billy called Teddi’s name again. There was no answer. His heart was beating so loudly in his ears he was worried he might not hear her even if she did. 

“I’ll go,” he said finally. “You stay here with Nancy. And if I’m not back in ten minutes, you get the hell out of here and go call Hopper. Got it?” Johnathan nodded, putting a protective arm around Nancy. 

Billy opened up his backpack, grabbing one of the liquor bottles and shoving his lighter into his back pocket. He looked at the gate one more time before taking in a deep breath and crawling through. It was a horrible feeling. Slimy, wet and cold. Everything in him told him he shouldn’t be there. Once he was on the other side, it was like Mike had described. It looked like Hawkins, but different. Evil. 

There was a clap of thunder above him. Billy jumped, looking up at the red sky above him. There was a massive, black form lurking there in the middle of the storm. It didn’t have much of a body. Just a head and long, spider like arms. He didn’t like looking at it. His body wanted to run, but he couldn’t. He was frozen there. All of his thoughts felt...fuzzy. Incomplete. Like hearing the radio frequencies in between channels that was all static and garbled voices. Billy swallowed thickly. The only thought he could hear clearly was the fear that he would never leave this place. 

A screech finally pulled him back to reality. The Demogorgon. Billy whipped around, his feet planted firmly as he searched for the monster. Thankfully he saw it before it saw him. It was feeding on something. Billy felt like he might be sick at the thought of it hunched over Teddi’s body. That horrible, crunching, wet sound of it feeding on her corpse. 

Billy gripped the liquor bottle tightly in his hand, and he charged forward. He let out a primal scream as he brought the bottle down over the monster’s head as hard as he could. The bottle shattered and the creature screeched again, rearing back from him. It was enough time for Billy to see it was a deer it had been feeding on, and not Teddi. He didn’t have time to feel relieved. The Demogorgon had turned and was focused on him now. 

He plunged the neck of the broken bottle froward, stabbing it into the monster’s side. It let out a horrible noise that made Billy’s ears ring. It clawed at him as it fell, just barely missing him. “Billy!” Teddi called behind him. He looked over at her, letting out a shaky, relieved breath when he saw that she was safe. 

The Demogorgon wasn’t down for the count though. It made a noise, angry and wheezing as it tried to get back on its feet. Billy screamed for Teddi to run. She did. Billy took a few quick strides backwards, making sure the monster hadn’t shaken off it’s injuries and he followed after her. The Demogorgon screeched again. Billy didn’t need to look back to know it was chasing after them. Or that the wound had only barely slowed it down. 

Teddi’s breathing was ragged. Billy could hear her sobs as she ran as fast as she could back to the gate. She didn’t dare look back. Johnathan and Nancy were still waiting for them. He could hear them both calling for him and Teddi. Guiding them back to the gate. Teddi dove for the small hole, struggling a little to get through before she was dragged out. 

Billy could feel the Demogorgon behind him. He willed his legs to go faster. He had to. There was no way he was going to let himself die this way. To let that thing rip him apart like it had the deer. He had made it about halfway through the gate when it grabbed him. Billy could see Mirkwood. He could see Teddi, Nancy and Johnathan standing above him. The Demogorgon gave his leg a hard yank, and Billy gripped on to the trunk of the tree with all of his strength. He screamed. 

Johnathan and Teddi dropped to their knees, each of them grabbing one of Billy’s arms and pulling him as hard as they could. Nancy wrapped her arms around Teddi’s middle, pulling the blonde back. Billy’s free leg kicked blindly at the monster. It didn’t do much. The three of them had managed to pull Billy out to his waist. “Give me the bag!” he screamed. Johnathan looked around wildly before he saw where Billy had dropped his backpack. “The kerosene! Douse the fucking thing, Byers!” he howled. 

Nancy had let go of Teddi and taken Billy’s other arm. She and Teddi had their feet braced against the tree, playing a terrifying game of tug of war with the Demogorgon. Johnathan sprayed Billy’s leg and the monster’s hand with the gas. “Teddi, let go,” Billy ordered. She didn’t. “Let go! I need you to let go!” 

Finally Teddi let go of Billy’s arm, and he reached down to grab his lighter. The Demogorgon let out a horrible, ear piercing scream as it’s arm caught aflame. It’s nails dug into Billy’s leg, dragging them down and tear at his flesh before finally letting go of him. Billy screamed. For a moment he thought it had ripped his leg off entirely. Johnathan joined Nancy and pulled Billy out to safety. Teddi crawled over to him, pulling his upper half into her lap. 

“Oh my god,” she gasped. “Billy, your leg. You guys, I don’t think he’ll be able to walk.” she sniffed. The Demogorgon’s nails had shredded his jeans. All Teddi could see was red. If she looked closer she could see five deep wounds that would definitely scar. 

“Look!” Johnathan exclaimed, pointing back to the tree. The bark was slowly closing over the gateway. The faint, beating red light slowly disappearing. 

Teddi let out a relieved sigh. “I have to stop the bleeding. Nancy, there’s a first aid kit in my backpack, can you get it for me?” she had her backpack and jacket off already. Nancy moved quickly beside her. Teddi pulled her shirt off over her head. Johnathan looked away quickly. “This isn’t gonna feel too great…” she warned Billy. His teeth were clenched, and his breathing was coming out in hoarse growls. 

Teddi gingerly took Billy’s ankle and lifted his leg, laying the shirt out under him and wrapping it around his leg as tightly as she could manage. Billy let out a loud groan but didn’t say anything. Nancy was beside Teddi, the first kit open in front of her. “Unravel the bandage for me? I’m gonna wrap it around his leg.” she said, keeping her tight grip on the shirt. 

Johnathan shifted nervously above them. “How do you even know any of this?” he asked.

Teddi shrugged. “Lifeguard,” it was only party a lie. They had been taught basic first aid when she and Billy had started working at the pool. But after patching Billy up more than a few times because of arguments with Neil, Teddi had gotten pretty good at this sort of thing. This was something bigger than just a busted lip or a few bruised ribs, though. Billy could die if she wasn’t careful. It was taking everything in her to keep her hands steady and her mind clear. Now wasn’t the time to cry. 

Nancy helped Teddi wrap the beige bandage around Billy’s leg tightly, almost like a mummy. Billy was a trooper through the whole thing. He always was. Teddi leaned down and ripped the bandage, tying it in a tight knot at his ankle. Her hands were covered in his blood. “You’re gonna need stitches,” she said with a sigh.

“You’re not taking me to the hospital, Larsson. How the fuck am I supposed to explain this?” 

“Billy, the cuts are too deep to heal on their own! All of this adrenaline is only going to make your heart pump faster and you won’t stop bleeding. This is just a bandaid,” she pleaded with him. But Billy was too stubborn.

“Well, then you do it. Take me home and stitch them up. We’re not going to a goddamn hospital.”

“With what? Susuan’s needlepoint kit? I’m not a fucking doctor!” Billy didn’t answer her. His jaw set tightly, and Teddi knew that there would be no convincing him. She let out a frustrated huff. “Do you think you can stand?” she asked. Normally she would let him rest a little. But they didn’t have time. There was no telling if the gate would open again and the monster would be back. 

Billy nodded, grunting as he sat up slowly. Johnathan hurried to his side, helping him stand while Teddi pulled her puffy jacket back on. The four of them walked silently through Mirkwood and back to Teddi’s van. Either they were all still in shock or they were too afraid to speak. Maybe it was a little of both. Billy finally broke the silence once they made it back to the van. Teddi opened the back doors, she and Johnathan helping Billy to sit. “The hell were you two doing out here anyways?” he asked. 

“Johnathan had a picture of Barb,” Nancy began. “It was taken right before...Steve ripped it up, but when I taped the pieces back together I saw something in the corner of the frame, by the woods,” she explained. “I knew Barb would never run away. I think that that thing took her. So we came out here to find her.” 

“Yeah, well, we think it dragged Will down...wherever the hell we just were.” Billy muttered, lighting a cigarette and taking a long drag. 

Nancy’s wide eyes looked like they were about to fill with tears. “Will is down there? With that monster?” 

“We were working on a plan to get him out,” Teddi reassured her. “We just needed to find the gate.”

Billy smiled thinly, grunting in pain and puffing a cloud of smoke out through his nose. “It’s goin’ great.” 

“We’ll help!” Johnathan said. “Whatever it takes. If my brother is down there then I’m gonna help get him back. If the four of us work together-” Billy cut him off with a loud groan. 

“Can we talk about this some other time? When I’m not bleeding out?”

Teddi nodded. “He’s right. I need to get him home. Can we meet up tomorrow? We can think of a game plan. How about at the coffee house tomorrow afternoon?”

“Yeah,” Nancy nodded. “We’ll be there...thank you, Teddi. For going in after me. You didn’t have to do that.” 

Teddi shifted a little uncomfortably. She smiled awkwardly at Nancy. “Oh, it’s no big deal. We gotta look after each other, right?” Teddi helped Billy stand again and the four parted ways. The drive back to Billy’s house was quiet aside from a few grunts of pain from Billy every so often. Teddi was gripping tightly onto the steering wheel. What if they couldn’t stop the Demogorgon? So far every run in with the monster ended with them almost dying. What if, even after coming up with a more concrete plan with Johnathan and Nancy, they couldn’t get Will and Barb back? 

Teddi felt a chill up her spine as she thought of the Upside Down. It wasn’t a place that she wanted to go back to. It felt hopeless there. Like you would never be able to escape. There was this constant feeling of something watching you. Making you feel like you would never be truly safe. And there was no telling what else lived there. Teddi doubted the Demogorgon was the only threat in the Upside Down. 

When they pulled up to to Hargrove’s house Teddi was surprised and relieved to see that Neil’s truck was gone. She couldn’t begin to think of a way to explain what had happened to Billy to either him or Susan. And Susan definitely would have insisted on taking Billy to the hospital. Teddi shut the van off and ran around to Billy’s side, putting his arm around her shoulder and helping him up to the front porch. She fished his key from his jacket pocket and kicked the door open. “Max! Please tell me you’re home!” she yelled into the house. 

Billy let out a groan as they made their way inside. He was starting to feel heavy against Teddi’s side, and she was getting worried that he might pass out before she could get him to his room. Max ran down the hall and into the living room, her eyes going wide when she saw Billy. “Holy shit! What happened to him?” 

“Just help me get him to his room. I’ll explain later,” Teddi grunted, trying her hardest to keep Billy upright. Max hurried to Billy’s other side and the three stumbled towards his room. The girls sat him on his bed, and Teddi did her best to prop his leg up.”Where’s Neil and Susan?” she asked Max, hoping to get some idea of how much time she had to fix Billy up.

“Neil took her out because she’s all sad about Will,” Max rolled her eyes. “They went to dinner and a movie about an hour ago.”

 “Oh, good...okay, I gotta get your pants off.” she stated, her hands on her hips as she assessed the situation.

Billy shot her a tired smirk. The color had drained from his face a little. “Right in front of Max, Larsson? And you say I’m the pervert.”

Teddi and Max both rolled their eyes. Teddi leaned forward, making quick work of unbuckling Billy’s jeans. “Hey, Max? Do you know where your mom keeps her sewing stuff?” Teddi asked as she began to slowly peel Billy’s jeans off. 

Max shot her a strange look. “Yeah, why?”

“Just go get it for me, please? ...And maybe a beer. Or something stronger,” Max didn’t ask any questions. She only shrugged and hurried out of the room. Teddi looked down at Billy’s leg. Her shirt was completely soaked through with blood and the bandage wasn’t far behind. “...This is my fault.” she said softly. She could feel tears prickling at her eyes. 

“It was not. You had to go in after Nancy. You know, the next time I see that thing I’m knocking it’s fucking head off,” Billy muttered. His head fell back against the wall, and he let out an uncomfortable groan, shifting a little. “This is gonna fucking suck, isn’t it?” 

“That’s why I told Max to get the beer,” Teddi said with a sheepish look. Max came back in with a basket of Susan’s sewing supplies and a bottle of Neil’s scotch tucked inside. Teddi took in a deep breath, threading a needle. “This totally isn’t up to like, medical standards. Are you sure you want me to do this? You could get all infected. Then they’ll have to cut your leg off.” she knew that it wasn’t helping to ramble, but she couldn’t help it. 

“I’ll take my chances.” Billy grunted. 

Teddi let out another sigh. “Okay...Max, I need you to keep pressure on the other cuts while I stitch him up.”  she grabbed the bottle of scotch and took a big swig to help steady her nerves.

“Is anyone gonna tell me what happened?” she asked, moving over to Teddi’s other side and doing as Teddi told her. 

“We found your goddamn gate,” Billy huffed. He let out a loud growl like sound, slamming his hand down on his nightstand as Teddi started to stitch up the first cut. She let out a chant of sorrys before handing him the bottle of scotch. He took a long drink. “The two of us got to take a nice trip to the Upside Down and had another run in with the Demogorgon.” 

Max’s eyes widened as she looked between the two of them. “You found it? You went through it? We spent all day looking for it!”

“What?” Billy and Teddi both asked. 

Max rolled her eyes. “Dustin said something about using a compass to find it. One of their stupid science things. We were going around in circles out in the woods all day, but it turns out El was throwing us off the trail. She got in another big fight with Lucas and Mike and she ran off. Guys can be such assholes.” 

Teddi stopped her work and looked over at Max. “Are you telling me that Eleven is out there in the woods by herself?” she asked. Max shifted uncomfortably and Billy let out a tired sigh.

“I tried to stop her. She wouldn’t listen. She just ran off and we haven’t seen her since. I’m sure she’s fine, Teddi.” Max reassured her. Teddi was sure that El could probably take care of herself. So far she’d proven so be extremely self sufficient. But that didn’t mean Teddi could just leave her out there by herself. 

“Can we focus on one problem at a time, Larsson?” Billy asked, his head falling back against the wall. 

Teddi turned back to his wounds. On top of everything else that was going wrong, Teddi was beginning to realize that Billy’s blood seemed darker now than it had before. He wasn’t bleeding as much as he had been in the woods, only a little from her irritating the wounds that were trying to heal.  But it looked almost black. “...Are you sure you don’t want to go to the hospital? I think something’s wrong. I mean, we totally don’t know what that thing could’ve done to you.”

“No hospital.” Teddi realized she could sit there and argue with Billy until she was blue in the face. He wouldn’t be budging. Teddi would just have to hope that in the end he would be okay. The stubborn ass. 

Eventually Teddi stitched up the five cuts, bandaging Billy’s leg once again. When she went to the bathroom to wash her hands she realized they wouldn’t stop shaking. None of this was normal. This was all so far outside of the realm of normal. She had Billy’s blood under her fingernails. Because a monster had attacked him in the woods. This was too big for them. Too big for Johnathan and Nancy and the kids. They needed help.

“I think we need to call Hopper.” Teddi announced as she walked back into Billy’s room. 

It was Max that argued with her this time. “You can’t! No grown ups. We can’t trust any of them. It’ll just get El in trouble and Mike will never shut up about. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to hear him say snitches get stitches.” she said with an eye roll.

Billy let out a humorless chuckle. “Bit late on that end,” he joked. 

Teddi looked at the two siblings, both of them looking at her with tired expressions. She crossed her arms firmly over her chest, chewing on her lip. Of course there was the chance that Hopper would call someone about El and she would be caught in Hawkins. But there was also the chance that he would help them. She supposed she couldn’t really take the chance. Teddi picked up her backpack and fished her keys out. 

“Where are you going, Ted?” Billy asked with a tired, low voice. 

“I’m gonna go get her,” she announced. “I’m gonna find El before someone else does. And don’t you fucking argue with me,” she pointed a finger at Billy when he opened his mouth. “You have no say in this. You’re not getting out of bed. Max, you watch him, okay? If he tries to get out of bed you have my permission to use force.” Max grinned over at her brother, who let out a scoff. 

Billy sat up and tried to swing his leg off of the bed. He swore loudly and fell back against the wall. “Jesus, fine. Just…”

“I’ll be careful,” Teddi finished for him. “I promise. I’ll be back to check on you after I find her,” she leaned over to kiss him, smiling softly. “Love you. Max, take care of him, okay? I’m too lazy to find a new boyfriend.” she teased. Billy scoffed again. Teddi didn’t miss him mumbling a “love you” out as she turned to leave. 

“Wait...did she say boyfriend?” she heard Max ask as she made her way down the hall. 

---

Teddi had been driving around Hawkins for so long that the sun had come up. There was no sign of El so far. Teddi’s nerves were absolutely shot. Her eyes and body were begging her for sleep. Not to mention she was still shirtless from the night before. It was like every time she was starting to make a little headway in finding Will something would go horribly wrong and derail everything. And she had definitely had her fill of near death experiences. 

She was driving towards Hawkins’ main street, instinctively heading towards the police station. Bradley’s Big Buy was on the way, and Teddi almost gave herself whiplash as she passed by it. There was a crowd outside of the store. A few of the employees and some customers. They were all crowded around Powell and Callahan. The automatic doors were shattered. “El, what have you gotten yourself into now?” Teddi muttered to herself as she pulled into the parking lot. There was absolutely no way this was a coincidence. 

Teddi hopped out of her van and jogged over to the two officers. Powell let out a heavy sigh when he saw her. As much as she and Billy liked to harass the two of them, this wasn’t one of those times. “Teddi, we really don’t have time-”

Teddi held up her hands and shook her head. “This all wouldn’t happen to be about a girl in a pink dress would it?” she asked. “About this tall with a shaved head?”

Robert, the store’s manager, grumbled loudly. “You mean you know that little thief?”

“...Thief?” Teddi asked, looking over at Powell. 

He rolled his eyes. “Apparently she stole some waffles and somehow managed to shatter the front doors.” Teddi was relieved to see that Powell wasn’t really buying that a preteen managed to break two glass doors all on her own. 

“Did you see where she went? Any idea?”

“And what’s it to you?” Callahan asked, placing his hands on his hips in what Teddi assumed was an attempt to look intimidating. 

“...She’s my cousin. She’s visiting from New York. And I kinda have to find her. Especially if she’s stealing shit!”

“Language.” Robert said sternly.

Teddi and Powell both rolled their eyes. “A witness said she saw her headed off that way,” he jabbed his thumb over towards the neighborhood across the street. A row of houses sat on the edge of the woods, and from there it was a pretty clear shot over to the Byers’ place. “Now, I’m gonna let it slide ‘cause she’s just a kid, but you keep an eye on her, Teddi. If I see any more funny business I’m gonna be taking it up with the chief.” 

Teddi let out a relieved sigh. “Thank you. I’ll find her, don’t worry...sorry about the waffles.” she apologized to Robert before hurrying off towards her van. She coasted down the road that lead to they Byers’ house, her eyes trained on the woods to her left. Eventually she saw a small figure hunched over in the trees a few yards from the house. Teddi pulled her van over and hopped out, rushing over to El’s side. 

She was crouched down by a fallen tree, covered in dirt and thoughtfully chewing on an eggo. She looked almost shy as Teddi approached her. Teddi kneeled down next to her, catching her breath and placing a hand on El’s shoulder. “Are you alright?” El was silent for a moment but eventually nodded. “How come you ran off? It’s dangerous out here.”

El looked over at Teddi, her large eyes pooling with tears. “I hurt Lucas.” 

Teddi was surprised. Max hadn’t said anything about that. Just that they had gotten into a fight. “...Max didn’t tell me that part. So I’m guessing he’s probably alright,” she reassured her. “How come you kept them away from the gate?” 

“You told us to stay away,” El said, Teddi smiled softly. “It’s dangerous...it’s my fault.” she sniffed. She wiped her nose roughly with the sleeve of her windbreaker. 

Teddi frowned. “What do you mean it’s your fault?”

“I opened the gate,” El whispered. Teddi could feel her heart begin to beat faster. “Papa…” she sniffed. “Papa made me. I didn’t mean to do it. It’s my fault that Will is gone.” 

There were a million different questions running through Teddi’s head. And she knew that El probably couldn’t answer all or even most of them. “Your papa...is he the one that did all of this to you? Your powers?” El nodded. “El, none of this is your fault, okay? You’re just a kid. You’re not responsible for whatever it is your papa is up to. But you can help me fix all of this. We can find Will and get rid of the Demogorgon. I promise. But first we have to get you out of the woods...and no more eating frozen waffles.” she laughed softly, reaching forward and brushing the tears off of El’s cheeks. El sniffed and nodded, smiling up at Teddi. Teddi got up to her feet, holding her hand out to help El stand. Teddi put an arm around her and they started their way back to the van.

There was a scream not too far off. Both of the girls stopped in their tracks. Eleven took an instinctive step in front of Teddi. Teddi waited for that horrible screech to follow, but it never came. For the first time it seemed like there was trouble that didn’t involve the Demogorgon. Teddi tried to listen a little more closely. There was shouting. Another scream. Teddi and El ran for the van. 

Teddi drove in the direction of the quarry. Dustin and Max were both cornered by Troy and James. Mike was walking towards the edge of the quarry with no sign of slowing down. “Mike! What the fuck do you think your doing?” Teddi jumped from the van and was running towards the kids. 

“Teddi no! He has a knife!” Dustin yelled. Teddi wheeled around, glaring at Troy, who was holding a knife to Dustin’s neck. Dustin and Max were both looking up at Teddi with wide eyes. Even James looked scared. 

Teddi didn’t really waste any time thinking. There wasn’t any time to think. There was no way she was going to let a little shit head like Troy Walsh hurt her kids. She punched Troy. Her fist connected directly between his eyes. Dustin brought his foot down hard onto Troy’s, letting out a loud battle cry. Troy swore loudly, dropping the knife and backing away from Dustin. His nose was bleeding and he was already crying. 

“Mike, stop!” Max screamed, running forward. Teddi whipped around to see that Mike had jumped. She screamed, taking off towards the quarry’s edge. 

Teddi looked down, her breathing coming out in hoarse gasps. “What the fuck?” 

Mike was floating. He seemed just as surprised as Teddi was. Dustin, Mike, Troy and James had all joined at the edge, the five of them watching in awe as Mike slowly rose back up towards them. He landed behind them with a loud thud. Teddi looked over to see El making her way over, glaring over at Troy. 

Suddenly James was thrown to the ground. El moved her head just slightly, and James screamed, grabbing at his arm. “She broke my arm! My arm!” he cried. 

“Go.” El said, glaring at the two boys. They didn’t waste any time. Dustin followed after them, yelling something. Teddi noticed that El was starting to sway back and forth. Her nose was bleeding and her eyes were drooping. She collapsed as Teddi made her way over to her. 

“El!” Teddi gasped, dropping to her knees next to her. She reached down to feel for her pulse. It was surprisingly steady. Mike, Dustin and Max ran over, the three of them crowding around the two girls. “El, honey, can you hear me?” Teddi asked, shaking El by the shoulders gently. 

“Is she dead?” Dustin asked frantically. Max shoved him, glaring over at her friend. 

“She’s just passed out. Don’t touch her. Just give her a second.” she held her hands out almost to shield El from the three of them.

“El? Can you hear me? Are you okay? El?” Mike asked. After what felt like forever El woke up, immediately bursting into tears. Teddi lout out a relieved sigh, pulling her slowly up to a sitting position. El held Teddi’s hand tightly as she apologized to Mike, Max and Dustin for opening the gate. Thankfully Mike repeated Teddi’s sentiment and told her she had nothing to be sorry for. 

“We have to find Lucas.” Mike said firmly.

“We will...wait a second. Max, you’re supposed to be watching Billy.” Teddi said, fixing a stern look in the redhead's direction.

Max shifted nervously. “Steve called and said it was important. I tried to stop him, Teddi, really. But you know how Billy gets. There wasn’t really a whole lot I could do.” 

Teddi pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a heavy sigh. She believed Max. But it didn’t make things any less stressful. “Okay...here’s what we’re gonna do. You guys are gonna take El back to the Wheeler’s. I’m gonna go find Billy, and then we’re gonna find Lucas together. Okay? I don’t even wanna think of the crazy shit that’s gonna happen if we all split up again. El, are you gonna be okay?”

She nodded. Teddi reached up and wiped the blood from El’s nose with her sleeve. “I’ll be there soon. Give me at least an hour. Try calling him on the walkies and see if you can reach him. If you can, tell him Teddi says to get his ass over there immediately.” she pointed her finger at Mike.

“Yeah, yeah. I got it. Just hurry and find Billy, would you? We’re running out of time here.”

Teddi hurried back to her van and drove back in the direction of main street. The first place she would look for Billy would be Steve’s. She was going to kill Billy. What didn’t he understand about bed rest?

She didn’t make it very far before she saw Steve, up on a ladder and cleaning off the marquee of the Hawk theater. Someone had spray painted “starring Nancy the slut Wheeler” in large red letters under All the Right Moves. Teddi stomped down on the brakes before getting out of the van once again. “Has the entire fucking town lost their minds?” she asked, walking over to Steve. “What the hell, Harrington? You did this?” 

Steve looked genuinely ashamed. “...It’s a long story.” was all he said. 

Teddi shook her head. “Tell me about it later. Where’s Billy?” Steve’s eyes briefly widened before he regained a more neutral expression. 

“He’s uh...down at the station. Powell and Callahan picked him up. We kinda got into a fight.”

Was any of this real? Was this all some sort of insane dream? It had to be. “What do you mean you two got into a fight? What the hell do you have to fight about?” 

“...Long story.” he repeated with a sheepish smile. 

“Jesus Christ. You owe me one hell of an explanation later, Harrington!”  she called over her shoulder as she jogged across the street and over to the police station. She burst inside, looking around wildly for Billy. He, Johnathan and Nancy were all seated to her left next to Powell’s desk. Johnathan was wearing handcuffs and had a towel of ice pressed against his knuckles “You guys are gonna make me have a fucking anerysm!” she huffed.

“Language, Teddi!” Flo scolded her. 

Teddi jumped at her voice, smiling thinly over at the receptionist. “Sorry Flo…” she hurried over to Billy’s side. He had a busted lip. His leg was bouncing wildly and his hands were clenched into fists. “Are you okay? I just saw Steve…” she reached over, taking one of Billy’s hands in hers. Johnathan and Nancy were watching him with similar sympathetic looks. 

“They’re gonna call my dad,” was all he said. “If he has to come down here…” 

Teddi reached over, taking his face in her hands. “Billy, it’s gonna be fine. We’re gonna wait for Hopper and it’s all gonna work itself out. No one’s gonna call Neil.” his leg didn’t stop bouncing. 

“Yeah, Billy. I mean you were just trying to help. Hopper will understand.” Nancy joined in. Johnathan nodded. 

“Don’t worry. We’ll back you up. It’s my fault anyways.” Teddi couldn’t even begin to think of what could have possibly happened to make Johnathan Byers start a fight. Let alone why Billy would help him over his best friend. 

“Hey!” Teddi looked over to see Joyce Byers hurrying towards them. Hopper was following close behind her. “Johnathan! Jesus, what happened?” she asked. Callahan stood, trying his best to calm her. “Why is he wearing handcuffs?” she demanded. 

“Well, your boy assaulted a police officer, that’s why.” Callahan explained.

Teddi let out a loud snort. “Seriously?” she asked. Hopper shot her a look, and she covered her mouth. “...Sorry.”

Joyce and Callahan argued over taking Johnathan’s handcuffs off. Eventually Hopper told him to let Johnathan go. Powell walked in, telling Hopper there was something that he needed to show him. Hopper pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing heavily. He turned towards Billy and Teddi pointing at his office door. “You two, wait for me in there. I’ll be right back.” they didn’t need to be told twice.

The pair shuffled off to Hopper’s office, Teddi shutting the door behind them. 

[ourwingsofwarriors]

AOTWeek Day 4 - Revenge -

Piece by Piece 

Characters: Historia Reiss, Reiner Braun, Hanji Zoe, Levi Ackerman, Jean, Armin, Ymir etc Pairing: Historia / Kristia x Ymir Rating: Teen (swearing) 

It had been weeks since I had received the letter from Ymir, delivered by Reiner, who had been the reason, the one sole reason I had lost the one person I had really connected to, the one person who I thought I could ever love. She had told me to live for myself, but now I struggled to even think about that thought, I was the Queen, and I longed for her once more to be in my arms, to be in her warm loving embrace. Kissing her… squeezing her.

Making love with her.

But they had taken that all away from me, Reiner… Bertholdt both of them were the reasons why Ymir was gone. They had taken the one person I loved. Because she was a titan shifter, because she had taken it from them… they were taking her back. We had got our revenge on Bertholt, he was eaten by Armin, who now, the poor soul had to bare the price of that gift, he had 13 years left to live… with a price on his head.

There was so much I didn’t know about her, there was so much she didn’t know about me… afterall we didn’t have that much time.. Considering our circumstance. I longed to hear her voice… just once more. Just one word, would of put my heart at peace, I would be able to rule better than I am now.. But I miss her, I miss her so much my heart could burst into a million pieces and shatter over the kingdom, searching for her… I didn’t even know where she died, how she died… I just, I just wanted Ymir back with me… here.

“My Queen..” Hanji burst through the door “Reiner, he is here!” I stood up like a lightning bolt hitting the dry rough ground in a storm “We got him! We found him sneaking in, using his 3DMG! Alongside a few others” She was panting, she must of come running as soon as they had locked the murdering cruel man who I had seen as a friend up. “Where is he?!”  I commanded, “I have to see him” Hanji nodded and turned, I followed her out, taking a carriage towards the Survey Corps headquarters.

My heart was pounding, I didn’t know what to think, what was I going to do?! Surely according to Hanjis calculations Reiner, didn’t have a lot of time left on his 13 years. Meaning was this Reiner, giving himself in? Was he giving us the Armoured titan? I couldn’t even think of any reasons why he shouldn’t of, he had taken the lives of thousands of innocent people… and most importantly taken the love of my life.

Hanji was rambling on about how they found Reiner, but I didn’t care, although I saluted her, she was an excellent commander, and a complete psychopath when it came to the treatment of prisoners, which I was hoping to see, alongside Levi who also probably wanted a slice of Reiner.

Infact thinking about it… Everyone wanted him dead.

Reiner sat there, on his knees looking miserable, Levi was leaning against the bars, talking to him, asking him god knows what. Eren, Armin and Mikasa were all there too.. In fact I could see everyone from the squad, because Reiner, had broken all of their hearts, he was the reason so many of our friends were dead. Jean arrived a little late, he bowed to me, even though I had asked all of them, never to treat me any differently “Hello Jean” “Your majesty” “Please… call me Historia” I sighed “I’m glad you came too” “Well.. he already told me how Marco died” he said, clenching his fists “It was him, he was the reason Marco is dead” “I’m so sorry… we all loved him” “I miss him, but I wonder what he would be thinking right now, after all this, Reiner was the armoured titan, Bertholt the colossal, and you are the Queen” He laughed awkwardly “He deserves to die” He looked to me “For what he did to the lives behind this wall, for Marco… Ymir” I nodded, I had to agree with him, he didn’t deserve to live at all. I watched as Hanji pulled everyone out, giving me time to go in “Levi” I greeted him, he smirked, out of them all, he was the only one who didn’t play up around me, to which I was grateful “Anything new from him?” “He wants to see you” Levi sighed “Tch.. bastard” “Not in front of the Queen!” Hanji gently shoved Levi “Levi!” I laughed it off, the two of them were made for each other, although neither of them would ever admit that. It’s a shame, so many of us, find love in this strange world, but never had the chance to act on our feelings, leaving our loved ones behind.

You told me to live for myself, but how could you of been so selfish leaving me behind.

I walked into the corridor, looking at the dirty floor, the rusting metal bars, which held back the bastard who had caused so much pain, and to think I looked up to him, saw him as a close friend, a brother. He risked his life for me so many times, and for what? He was just going to have me killed in the end anyway! “Kris… Historia..” He moaned out, his face was bloody, his shirt covered in his own blood, I guess Levi had already had a little fun, smashing his head against the brick walls “You… You came” “Don’t speak unless you are spoken to!” I snapped, sitting down at the chair they had put down, facing his cell “Reiner Braun” “I… I came to say” “I don’t give a shit what you have to say Reiner! Who are you to think we wanted you to come back? I don’t care if you gave yourself in or not!” “I came back… to apologize” “For what! For WHAT!” I screamed my lungs out “You took away Ymir!” I felt the tears swelling in the corner of my eyes “What did she ever do to deserve such a fate!” “She… killed my friend too…” “You killed thousands of people…” “They deserved it” “Did the children deserve it too? The innocent children who hadn’t even lived a full life?” “Historia…” “You destroyed part of my life Reiner Braun! You took away the one person I ever cared about in this world and the only person who ever loved me!” “Thats…. Not true” he looked up “Historia… how did you not know?” “What…” “I….always” “Don’t even say a single word” I hissed “I don’t want to hear your disgusting confession from you, you are a monster! A complete and utter monster, and you know what! You can rot away in this cell for the rest of your life, because what you did, to so many people… even people who loved you too much for their own hearts to bare.. They hate you now. You ruined everything! You and your stupid friends” “Where…. Where is Bertholt?” He asked

“He got eaten” Hanji called out, laughing slightly “Armin ate the crying sod, he begged for us to save him, to stop him from dying! Funny isn’t it Reiner… at the end of it all, he was a coward, he begged to be saved just like any of our other comrades did.. Now when will you beg? Because I am looking forward to that!” I heard her voice going deeper, as she laughed to herself, Levi next to her, putting on black gloves, ready for anything which they had planned. “No… Bertholt… he couldn’t be..” “And annie is still locked up, no hope for her to get out anytime soon!” Hanji laughed “now you’re here, we could have a reunion!” “Bertholt…” Reiner cried out, a tear dropping from his eyes “Why did no one…” “YOU DON’T DESERVE IT!” I screamed in his face, he looked up at me, shocked, he had never seen me like this, but I didn’t care anymore, he was a monster and I hated him.

I looked over, Hanji gave me an awkward smile, I knew she had a lot of pented up anger towards him, she had nearly got him the last time before he got away, after she nearly killed him herself with a flew slices from her blades.

“Reiner Braun, I sentence you to death” “Kill me… I don’t care, feed me to your friends, I don’t care, because death is the easy way out for me” “Fine. Rot in here, rot in here forever, with no light, no one to speak to because you do not deserve an easy death, so be it we will lose the power of the armoured titan but I don’t care because your precious little home town will be burnt to the ground” “We also have your friends, shall we give them the same punishments?” Hanji cackled from the corner “Do what you want Historia, nothing you do will ever bring Ymir back” I pulled a dagger from my boot, throwing it directly into Reiner’s neck. He let out a yelp, watching him bleed out, steam slowly rising from the wound. “I know I will never bring Ymir back, but I know for one thing. I will live for myself, I will destroy you piece by piece Reiner because you are a monster, and you will suffer the pain of all the men, women of children who died because of your stupid beliefs.”

I stood up, brushing myself down “As Queen, I will use all of my power, to destroy you Reiner. One piece at a time… You will regret the day you took the woman I love away from me.” I walked away. 

Knowing Ymir would of been proud of me…