you are so fearless, it’s inspiring. ― @townfuckup.
IT'S MATTER OF FACT. as long as monsters continue to crawl out from the oozing pits that have infected their town, or military men pound on their doors, or any of the chaos of the in - between keeps occurring --- jane will be the FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE, the protector, the warrior. ( not the only fighter, she knows, not even the only one with a connection to henry ― but as long as she can do what she can, she will keep doing it. ) it's become second nature, sitting in this basement that smells of the boxes of dusty vinyls and the concrete floor that's always a little damp around the seams where it meets the wall, planning their next crawl or burn or whatever else hawkins needs to stay afloat. eddie is a newer addition. a curiosity her gaze frequently sticks to, A SERIES OF STORIES FINALLY MADE FLESH.
it's only the two of them down here, the others tending to something upstairs or outside or away from the radio station altogether -- jane has stayed behind to watch. eddie has healed, mostly, but she thinks steve and robin still worry about his stitches coming apart if he jerks too quickly, and he does seem to be a twitchy man. if his leg isn't bouncing, his skull - ringed fingers are tapping away, or sometimes it is both at once -- a nonstop buzz of motion, like there's a song stuck on loop in his bones that he is compelled to move to. despite it, he seems to be a good listener. at least, he's been listening to her. eyes glued to her in turn, a hesitant-shy grin arcing one side of his mouth higher than the other. opinions of the upcoming mission are traded, a question of what if it doesn't work out? an answer, certain as the powers that hum in the base of her skull, the tips of her fingers, a truth yet to be proven as a lie: i will be there. it will work.
“ not fearless, ” she responds readily, not unkindly. FACT / TRUTH. she is still a girl, A WEAPON, not a superhero. “ i have felt fear. here, ” HERE, where her palm extends to press gently to eddie the banished's sternum, where a heart beats steadily but she has known it to pound against the cage of her chest, an animal trapped. head tips to the side, searching wide brown eyes with her own. he is afraid. HE IS ALIVE. “ being brave ... does not mean you are not afraid. fighting when you're afraid is brave. ” so she has learned, through hop and mike and so many of the others proclaiming her bravery even when she is shivering still, like the little girl back in the lab.
