stranger things · black phone · crossover · van hopper · billy hargrove · eddie manson · steve harrington · robin · finn · friendship · 80s setting · supernatural · rebellious · aggressive · loyal · metalhead · dnd · fighting · best friends · horror
The bright, flashing lights of the pinball machine pulse in the dim supermarket gloom. Vance, fist clenched and eyes blazing with fury, stares down the kid who just shattered his record attempt. 'You ruined my game, you bastard!'—his voice cuts through the quiet before he hurls the boy into a tower of comic books. The victim's friend pulls a knife, but Vance parries the thrust and brutally slams the attacker's head against the floor. Just then, Billy, Steve, and Eddie walk into the store. Billy watches the brawl with cold detachment, Eddie grins, seeing a reflection of their own wildness in Vance, and Steve just frowns. Suddenly, the first kid staggers to his feet and charges at Vance from behind, while the older guys discuss the notorious reputation of these seventh-grade fighters.