Chapter Text
Robin didn't really know when she became apart of Steve's little band of misfits, whether it was after the russians and the Mind Flayer, or up to Vecna.
Breaking the code against the russians had been a life changing experience for Robin. She spent hours upon hours being tortured with Steve, in that damn russian base with those kids. Then there was the Mind Flayer, a big ugly ass flesh monster from another fucking dimension, and a kid with superpowers?? Cherry on fucking top of that milkshake.
Now, she didn't know what sucked more. Those damn russians, being drugged, fighting an otherworldly being, or being Vecna'd.
She at least knew what to expect a little bit, hearing from Max and Nancy's point of view, but it was so much worse when it happened to you.
They had just gotten back from the upside down, and she was standing in Steve's yard.
"Steve?" She called out.
Robin whipped around, looking frantically throughout the neighborhood as if someone would appear. She felt her heart drop, and her stomach starting churning. Her palms began sweating, and she fiddled with her rings nervously, glancing around.
"Steve? Nancy?" She called out again.
No Nancy Or Steve This Time Robin.
Her head rattled, and she flung herself backwards into Steve's door. Fucking Vecna. She should've known to be honest. God, why did she have to be such an idiot?
Robin. You're Special. Or Maybe I Should Say, A Freak.
Robin shook her head rapidly, as the scene around her started to change, shifting into the school bathroom. Robin was freaking the hell out now, her breaths coming in short, ragged heaves, she felt like she was gonna throw up.
This can't be happening, maybe she just passed out? She couldn't fully remember what happened once she was out of the gate, so maybe she did pass out? Yeah, it's just a dream, she kept repeating in her head.
But, not under her control, her feet started moving, carrying her to the mirror in the bathroom. She looked the same, just paler and more sweaty. There were dark circles under her eyes, and her hand came up to rub her right eye.
Do You Remember, Robin?
She shook her head, trying to shove away from the mirror, but she couldn't move. It was like she had been bitten by a blue coral snake, a paralysis taking over her body.
"No, no please, just- just leave me alone." Her voice was small, and shaky. She cursed herself silently for sounding as terrified as she was.
They Thought You Were A Freak. Your Friends Will Think The Same Thing.
Her head rattled again, feeling like her mind was being torn apart and stitched back together over and over again.
The sound of a bathroom stall opening snapped Robin directly out of her thoughts.
A girl walked out and stared at Robin, her eyes were completely void of emotion, yet Robin felt a wave of judgment from her.
"You're that dyke, aren't you?" The girls friend giggles, coming out of the other stall.
"Tahlia, don't even talk to her, she'll spread it to us. We don't want to be a disgusting pedo like her." The two girls cackled in unison.
"What? I'm- im not a... im not that." Robin's own voice betrayed her, shaky and filled with fear. One of the girl's stalked towards her, stepping right into her face.
"Then why do you stare and blush when the girls all get changed?" The blonde girl's voice was harsh, and cold. Robin shivered, praying for this nightmare to be over.
Did she really do that? No, no she couldn't have. Robin was far to insecure to even lift her eyes off the floor in the locker rooms.
"Well? Aren't you going to say something freak?" The other girl piped up, stepping into her space as well.
"This isn't real, you're not real. This isn't actually happening. YOU'RE NOT REAL!" Robin shouted, her voice shaking and stumbling over each word. She brought her hands over her ears, finally having her mobility back, and sunk to the floor.
Hot tears streamed down her face, and she shook with pure terror. Vecna had her. She never told anybody her favorite song, hell she didn't even know her favorite song. Fuck, fuck fuck fuck, this was bad, so so bad. She was going to die, Robin was sure of it. She would be the last victim Vecna needed.
I Can Help You, Robin.
Her eyes snapped up quickly, her breath stopped in her throat at the sight.
Vecna, in all his glory, standing right in front of her. Covered in vines, and black ooze, along with terrifying hands.
You Won't Be Judged, With Me.
Vecna held a hand out to her, something that he hadn't done with Max or Nancy. Her heart was pounding so much she thought it might burst out of her chest.
Join Me, Robin. Help Me Restore The Balance.
Robin stared at him, wide eyes, still shaking with tears falling down her cheeks steadily.
"What? What? You....you want me-me to join you?" Robin couldn't comprehend why Vecna would need someone. He obviously had his master plan all sorted out. Four victims, four chimes, four gates. World domination. What the hell did he need a partner in crime for? And why her?
Like I Said, You Are Special Robin. Not Just Because Of Who You Like. You Have Stong Will, Not Many People Can Join A Group Of Children Who Think They Can Save The World, And Actually Live Throughout It.
Robin shivered again, she was fucking freezing, and his words also just sent a chill down her back.
"I'll never help you, you fucking bastard, just kill me! Get it the fuck over with you fucki-" Robin was cut off by Vecna rocketing a vine towards her, wrapping around her throat and shoving her backwards into a wall.
This Is Not A Game, Robin. Join Me. Your Friends Will Be Spared.
There was a growl to his voice, and the only emotion Robin could read in his eyes was pure anger. She threw her hands up to clutch at the vines, gasping desperately around them, begging for even the slightest amount of air to enter her lungs.
"Fuck....fuck yo-you." She spit out at him, he stalked closer to her.
I Don't Mind Killing You.
The vines squeezed even tighter, and Robin started seeing stars in her vision. She couldn't feel her neck, or her lips. Robin bet if she looked in a mirror, her face would be purple.
Just as Vecna opens his mouth to speak again, the opening to 'Everybody Wants to Rule The World' sounded faintly, far away from Robin.
She looked over to her right, the bathroom bleeding away to a red, and vine-filled terrain. Robin gasped again around the vines on her throat when she realized where she was.
Max had told them, had fucking drawn the upside down-mind version of Vecna's house. It was as freaky as the red head had described it.
The sky was cast a deep, blood red color. There were floating pieces or debris everywhere, along with vines wrapped along every inch of the land. There was thunder, but Robin didn't see any rain.
Tears For Fears started bleeding loudly into her ears, and Robin almost laughed at the cryptic feeling song. Vecna certainly wanted to rule the world.
No!
Vecna sneered, his vines constricting her throat even further. Then she heard him.
Steve. Her best friend, calling her name.
In the distance, a large bubble-like thing appeared in the sky, Robin could see herself. In the air, eyes white, Max's Walkman on her head, and everybody standing at her feet.
Steve, who was screaming her name, unshed tears in his eyes, Dustin was screaming too, him and Lucas trying to jump up and grab her feet. Max, Erica, and Nancy were all standing close, tears and fear splashed all over their faces.
Robin didn't understand why it was so much harder seeing Nancy, Nancy fucking Wheeler, looking that distraught over her. It made Robin want to fight harder, escape back to her friends.
The chorus of the song began, growing louder and louder by the second in her head.
All for freedom
And for pleasure
Nothing ever lasts forever
Vecna brought his hand up, and stuck it directly onto her forehead. Robin tried to scream as it felt like her memories were being torn from her, everything flashing among her eyes in seconds.
Her mother yelling at her when she was a child, meeting Steve for the first time, decoding the russians, watching movies with Dustin and Steve, her father's funeral, almost anything she could ever remember. It was so overwhelming and Robin felt like she was drowning.
Everybody wants to rule the world
Everybody wants to rule the world
With a last second of an adrenaline boost, Robin raises her legs and kicks Vecna as hard as she possibly can. He stumbles backwards, almost falling to the ground. He clearly hadn't been expecting Robin to do that.
Taking a deep inhale of air, Robin looked back to the sky bubble. Her friends were still screaming, shouting loudly for her, Dustin was holding onto Steve, his face buried in the older boy's shoulder.
Robin ran. Ran faster than she ever had. More than she ever did for gym class, (which to be fair wasn't that much, she slacked off in gym) repeating the same awful run Max had described to them.
Debris flew to the ground around her, making her fall to her knees a total of 4 times. Damn her for being so uncoordinated.
There's a room where the light
Won't find you
Holding hands as the world comes tumbling down
And when they do
I'll be right beside you
Robin was getting closer, the sound of her friends becoming less static sounding the more she ran.
So glad we've almost made it
So sad we'll have to fade it
"Robin!" Steve's frantic voice was all she heard as her eyes flew open, and she fell to the grass.
Her eyes were wide, terror still flowing through her veins. Steve made three steps towards her and Robin scrambled backwards.
"Stay...stay the hell away from me!" How could Robin know if it had worked? How was she supposed to know if this was another one of Vecna's visions or not?
"Robin, it's us, you're okay, holy shit you're okay." Steve said, he had his hands raised gently by his sides, and there were tear marks stained across his puffy, red face.
"I'm okay?" Robin repeated, glancing around anxiously to the others around her.
Max looked shaken up, Erica had relief written all over her face, Dustin and Lucas had matching, tired smiles on their faces. Steve had a small one, though he mostly just looked downright petrified. Nancy had unshed tears in her eyes, and her fingers were digging roughly into her arms, creating crescent moon shapes all across them.
"You're okay Rob, it's us." Steve took another step towards her.
It was real, all of it was real. She was really here, surrounded by her friends.
Robin pushed herself up quickly, and slammed herself into Steve, who responded just as fast.
"God Robin I thought we lost you, I really really thought..." Steve trailed off, resting his forehead onto Robin's shoulder softly.
"I'm okay dingus," She grinned pulling away from him, "But who's idea was it to play 'Everybody Wants To Rule The World' because that, was very cryptic for a wizard guy who wants to rule the world." Steve chuckled, along with Dustin and Max.
"Steve said you liked Tears For Fears, it was the only tape of theirs I had." Nancy spoke up for thr first time, her voice was shaky and she smiled at Robin hesitantly. Robin grinned back at her.
"You okay, Wheeler?"
"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"
"Touche." Nancy fully smiles at that, and Robin's stomach does a little flip.
"God can we get food? Running and getting choked half to death really builds up an appetite, you know." Robin elbows Steve in the ribs.
"You know, for somebody who just almost died, you'd think you'd be a little more shaken up, Rob." Steve says and sighs dramatically when she simply shrugs in response.
"Fine! I'll go pick up a pizza, you are staying here where everybody can watch you."
Robin frowned and backed away from Steve.
"You mean to tell me you're gonna leave me with children to watch me?"
"Hey!"
"You love us Robin."
Dustin and Lucas said at the same time. An amused smile appeared across Nancy's lips, Robin couldn't help to stare. God, when did she get so gay for Nancy Wheeler?
Shaking herself out of her thoughts and back into the now, she watches Steve, Dustin, Lucas, and Erica pile into his car.
"We'll be back! Don't do anything stupid, got it?" Steve said, looking at the three left standing on his front porch.
"Yes mom." Robin rolled her eyes at him, though they both shared a smile.
As Steve's station wagon pulled off, Max tapped Robin's shoulder.
Robin spun around to face the short redhead, and raised an eyebrow.
"What did you see? When he took you?" Max shuffles from foot to foot, nervously fiddling with her hands. It reminded Robin of herself.
"He didn't show me anything actually, just took me straight to his red house of doom." She said, hoping her voice and face didn't betray her. She couldn't just tell them the truth.
'Oh yeah he showed me getting called a dyke and pedo by two girls'.
Max and Nancy both frowned at her.
"Really? He didn't seem to want me there.." Max said and trailed off, looking to Nancy as well.
The brunette in question was staring at Robin, so much it made Robin shift her weight, unease filling her stomach again.
"I dunno, guess he wanted to go a different approach this time." She replied coolly.
"Hey, we should get back inside while we wait, you're shivering," Nancy steps into Robin's space, and grabs both her hands suddenly, "Are you cold?"
Robin could feel her entire face go flush, and she cursed at herself mentally for being such a mess.
"Um.. no, I'm not cold. I mean I don't feel cold, I might be. Maybe it's from the whole seeing every memory from every moment of my life. I don't know though I do feel a little cold, maybe it's an after effect, you know like a bad after taste from like a drink or food food something. Instead it's for Vecna, and it's being cold. I don't know though maybe im just tired."
Robin flushed again, realizing she had said that all in one breath. Most of it didn't even make any sense. She could almost hear her mother's words.
'Slow down Robin nobody knows what the fuck you're talking about'
'Do you ever shut the fuck up and stop embarrassing yourself?'
'Robin, no one understands you'
She looked down to her shoes, her red converse which had been scribbled all over. She had a missing shoelace as well. Robin counted the holes in her shoes, before being snapped back to reality by Nancy.
"Let's just get inside, okay?" Those blue eyes were staring at her with no judgement, only concern. Robin bounced on her legs and nodded.
--
Steve and the rest of the children entered the living room, pizza boxes in each of their hands.
"Finally! I'm dying over here Harrington!" Robin says dramatically, standing up and falling slightly into his side, a hand over her forehead.
He laughs and rolls his eyes, before opening the box to her. Robin grins and takes two slices, giving Steve a sloppy kiss on the cheek.
"Gross, Rob, seriously?" He feigns disgust, even bringing a hand up to wipe at his cheek.
"You love me, Stevie." She says back and sticks her tounge out at him, plopping back down onto the corner of the couch.
"Stevie?" Nancy hums, an amused smirk on her face and an eyebrow raised. She was looking between the two of them.
"Robin, im going to kill you."
"You would be heartbroken without me, im afraid." She replies back in a sing-song voice.
Suddenly the room grows quiet, tension obviously settling over everybody.
They had almost just lost Robin. Robin, who was the only one of them that could crack jokes in the middle of fighting other wordly beings. Robin, who checked up on Erica and Dustin constantly ever since the Russian base. The girl who would hangout with Erica and Lucas, even if they claimed they didn't need anyone to hang with. Robin, who also made Max lunch for school everyday, always geeking out over new comics the little redhead had. It was all very real, the thought of losing her had magnified. She was marked now, another person plauged with Vecna's curse. The thought of a world without Robin weighed heavy on everybody in the room, who continued to eat in silence.
"Sorry, to soon you guys?" Robin says.
A few nods and quiet groans was all she needed for her to actually shut up and eat.
--
It was later in the day now, all the kids having gone home. Leaving Robin, Nancy, Steve, and Eddie.
They had picked Eddie up from Max's trailer, deciding to keep him at Steve's instead for the time being.
Nancy, had refused to leave Robin's side, saying she needed somebody to look out for her. Robin had tried to convince her to go home, that Steve and Eddie were right across the hall, or down the stairs if she needed them, but Nancy insisted.
That's how Robin found herself laying in a bed with Nancy Wheeler.
Nancy was on her back, and so was Robin. The two girls were both obviously still awake, their mingled breaths filling the quiet atmosphere.
Eventually, Nancy sighed and turned so she was on her side, facing Robin. The taller girl glanced at Nancy, who was staring right into her eyes. Robin copied her position.
"What's up?" She said sleepily, she really was tired.
"You." Nancy replied coolly.
Robin's heart beat faster in her chest, she was grateful for the dark, or she was sure Nancy would see the deep crimson spread across her face.
"What, what do you mean?"
Nancy propped herself up on an elbow, and the faint light from the window lit her face up. Robin could see her features perfectly.
The worried crease on her forehead, her sharp jawline, those beautiful blue eyes, her perfect nose. Robin took it all in, soaked up Nancy's features like a greedy sponge.
"You said Vecna didn't show you anything, but why?" Nancy moved again, back onto her back and stared at the ceiling.
"He showed Max something, I'm sure Fred saw something, I saw Barb, and we know Chrissy was having nightmares and visions. So why would he not show you anything, why take you to the one place he doesn't want anyone to see?" Nancy turned to look at her again.
Robin was again grateful Nancy didn't have some kind of super hearing, or she would be hearing the roaring waterfall that was Robin's heart.
"Look, I just didn't want to tell you guys. I'm....im not ready to talk about it, not yet." Robin answers quietly.
She could practically see the cogs in Nancy's mind turning, trying to piece something together.
After a few moments of silence, Nancy simply nodded and looked back to the ceiling. Robin stayed on her side, staring at Nancy.
"I don't know if I can fall asleep, Nance." She whispered. Nancy turns to her again.
"Nance?" Robin's eyes widened almost comically.
"Oh my God I am so sorry, Steve calls you that all the time and honesty I just thought it had a nice ring to it. I didn't mean to just say it, but it's pretty, I... I mean it's like a pretty version of your name! Sorry, I'll shut up now." Robin breathes out the words quickly, snapping her mouth shut at the last sentence.
Nancy laughed quietly, and rested her hand atop Robin's.
"Its okay Robin, I like it. I've just never had a friend decide to use it, only boyfriends." Nancy's tone was teasing, but light. It made Robin's stomach do summer salts.
Damn her for being such a mess around any pretty girl that gave her attention. It made her cringe a little to think about, she wasn't some horny man who got excited everytime a girl spoke more than three words to him.
"Oh, right." She responds dumbly, it makes her bit her tounge harshly, embarrassment growing around her like leaves.
"I'm right here, Robin. Vecna's not gonna get you, and you look like shit, you need the sleep."
"Wow Wheeler, ever the charmer aren't you?" Robin says teasingly, a dopey grin on her face. Although she joked, Nancy's words meant more to her than she let on. She did feel safe with Nancy, like nothing could get her. Like nobody could ever try to hurt her, or else they'd be answering to Nancy.
"Shut up, Buckley. Get some sleep."
"Aye, Aye captain!" Robin responds, but her eyes were drooping shut, and her words were slurred.
The last thing Robin remembered before falling asleep that night was the faint feeling of fingertips brushing her hair back.