Chapter Text
The Vale of Shadows was the home of the undead, of traps, and powerful, very, powerful evil. Back then, it served as a mysterious setting for Mikes campaigns. Back then it was just a story, just playing pretend. But Will knew the Vale of shadows was much more than a tale. It was an echo of his home, the hideout of monsters, and the very place Will’s been stuck in, for a long, long time.
But time doesn't exist here. In fact, nothing exists here. Nothing human. Nothing Normal. Nothing safe.
But there was once a time...
It puts a bitter taste in his mouth. Something ugly blooms inside his stomach when he remembers the days before November 6th, 1983. Before he lost his life, before he lost his family, before he lost…Mike.
These days, Will grieves more than he angers.
“Jesus” he huffs, narrowly avoiding the compact vines that seemed to be never-ending as he made his way inside the police station. He ran out of bullets coming here, the fell-beasts were still pounding at the door, he didn’t take a second look. They’ll get tired soon enough. Will didn’t like using a gun, it attracted too much attention, no, he preferred his…other weapon. His powers. Though, after the last interaction he had with Henry, he realized, sometimes it was better to save it.
He opens the drawers to find some rounds. A little crusty, but better than he hoped for. Now, his next priority was food, He’d have to catch one of those beasts again. It was tough and shitty process, but necessary, plus he hadn’t eaten for a couple days now. As he stuffed his backpack with the .83 rounds, he paused. The voices…When Will first woke up in the vale, he was in his house, only it wasn’t really his house, It was almost like an alternate dimension.
He still distinctly remembers how his Mother and Johnathan had mourned over something as insignificant as him. At first, he thought it was a figment of his imagination, but that was quickly disproven when Joyce spoke to him.
“We got nothin’ on the Munson kid” It was probably the new police chief, it was a shock when Hopper died, and honestly, he didn’t really know how to feel about it, he never met the man himself.
“It’s been, what three murders now, that other kid’s still on our case about some cult” came a reply. “And the entire stunt he pulled at the assembly probably lost any support we still had”
“Just get to work officer” the other said, resigned. Will pulled back his shoulder length hair and prepared to leave. He didn’t really care who the fuck this Munson guy was, so he promptly left the station, but the comment of the murders caught him a bit off guard…could it be Henry?
But what was he doing on a killing spree? the guy was insane, check, wanted to take over the world, check, but what could he possibly gain from playing serial killer again? He brushed it off; he was just overthinking. He did that a lot these days.
As he reaches the threshold, Will looks back at the empty space behind him, his mind running circles. If Henry really did pick up from where he left off, then there was probably an open gate, and if these kills were connected to henry…
“Huh"
Will smiles slightly as he leaves the building.
Thankfully, the Fell beasts were gone.
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Will approached the Wheelers house swiftly. This was his base of operations. He could always go to his own house, and he does (Always stealing Johnathan’s shirts), but there were too many memories, painful memories. Castle Byers was destroyed and of course he couldn’t stay in one place for too long, but there was something that always pulled him towards this building, it was something about his fond days of playing D&D, sleepovers, and movie nights. His friends still met up here, Dustin, Lucas, and Mike…Oh Mike.
In his worst moments of hunger and fatigue, he came here, just to listen to his voice, sleep in his room, to try and find any trace of the boy he knew. To pretend the boy he loves is still only a door away.
As time passed, there were new voices, at least he thinks, two girls joined the party. Will had to stuff down the nasty feeling of being replaced more than once. But what else did he expect? He was, undeniably, replaceable.
This was his safe place, the one place he could rest. But today was...different.
Will discreetly opened the door, immediately sensing something was off. The floor above him creaked. There was something above him. The footsteps were too light and too frequent to be a Demogorgon, and either way he would’ve tapped into the hivemind if that was the case.
These were humans.
“Are you serious?” Will moaned softly, before rolling his eyes and shutting the door. Can’t these bastards stay in their own goddamn plane of existence?
Will went around the house, climbing up to the window. If there was any chance these were stragglers, people trapped in here like he was, then he had to help them. But if these were Brenner’s dogs...
Silently and swiftly, he climbed through Mikes window, into his room. Tugging the gun from his belt, he walked out to the hallway. He heard voices near Nancy’s room. Will gasped softly as he intently listened. No wonder the voice was familiar. He crept closer to the bedroom, putting his gun back and pushing the door ever so slightly to see Mike’s older sister Nancy, drawing letters in air.
There were three others, backs facing him as they hooted in excitement, transfixed on whatever the hell Nancy was doing.
Will ignored the feeling of dread building in his stomach and focused on the strange scene in front of him. When suddenly another voice filtered in, presumably from the real world-
“-Think we have a theory that can help with that!”
The group of teenagers collapsed in relief.
“Genius child” The dirty-blond haired lady nodded.
The voice continued speaking:
“We think Watergate isn’t the only gate. That there’s a gate at every murder site” </p
Will froze. A gate at every murder site? So that's why he was killing them. Three kills. Three gates. Will’s hands tremble as he remembered a crucial detail. Three wasn’t going to be enough. He knew Henry’s goal from the very start. To open a rift that big, three wasn't nearly enough; he needed four.
“Does anybody understand what he’s talking about?”
“No”
“No idea”
Will comes back to the present, struck a little speechless by how dumb they were as Nancy drew a question mark (Into the light?).
“Seriously? How many times do I have to be right on the money before you guys just trust me?” the warped voice shouted, clearly agitated. Which Will completely sympathized with.
“Jesus Christ-This kid’s gotta get his ego in check.” one of the boys said, offended.
The other, with big curly hair agreed “It's his tone, right?”
“I know!”
“Okay-” Nancy started “-So...So how far is your trailer?”
“seven miles.” Curly hair replied.
The trailer. Was that where one of the deaths occurred?
“Nancy” The dirty-blonde haired (He couldn't really tell in this lighting) girl called “Uh, I know your house here is, like, weirdly, creepily frozen in time and shit, but haven't you always had bikes?”
They all turned towards Nancy, who in turn stared back at the lights.
He’d seen enough. As silently as he could, he slipped back into mike’s room, waiting for the gang of teenagers to head towards their gate. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't join them, but at least he could help clear the path.
He sat on the bed, crisscross as he heard footsteps bounding downstairs. Will took a deep breath and focused on his heartbeat. He had a connection with this place; he knew every creature, every being that stalked in the dark, where they were, what they were doing. His mind scoured through the vines, when suddenly he finds his target.
A huge flock of bats covered a wide expanse of the trailer park, it was like a trap waiting in the dark. Nancy and the others won't be able to make it past them. No, they’d die if they walked in there without preparation. Not on my watch. Will furrowed his eyebrows, snapping them open to reveal milky white irises.
With a jolt, he snaps his head up.
“Scatter” he mutters, yet with a voice of steel.
And the bats reluctantly comply to his order, breaking formation and flying towards all sorts of directions, notably the opposite to Nancy’s crew.
Will sighed softly as his dark eyes roll back into their proper position. He lifts his gaze towards the window, red lightning splitting the sky open in violent flashes. They had to make it. They had to live. Will couldn’t bear the weight of any more blood on his hands.
He raised a trembling hand and wiped the thin trickle of blood from beneath his nose.
No one else would die because of him.