Chapter 5: Blood in the Water

Aftermath

The Losers barely made it out alive.

They stumbled into the streets of Derry, panting, clothes torn, some of them bleeding. Stan's shoulder was shredded from Pennywise's claws, and Eddie's hands were shaking so bad he could barely hold his gun.

Levi, however, was calm.

Too calm.

"That was insane," Richie gasped, hands on his knees. "He—he just tanked our bullets like it was nothing! Even the shotgun!"

Beverly wiped blood off her face. "It hurt him, though. You saw that."

Bill clenched his fists. "Not enough. We almost died."

Levi sighed, sliding his Desert Eagle back into his jacket. "Yeah, well, welcome to my world."

Eddie shot him a look. "Your world sucks."

Levi smirked. "No argument there."

The Plan

They needed a new approach.

Back at the barrens, they gathered around, trying to piece together what the hell they just fought.

"He's not human," Mike said, wrapping Stan's wound. "That much is obvious."

"No shit, Sherlock," Richie muttered. "We're dealing with some kind of monster, and bullets only slow it down."

Levi tapped his wand against his leg, thinking. He knew magic could hurt Pennywise—Sectumsempra left a mark. But he needed something stronger. Something lethal.

"We need better weapons," he finally said.

Richie scoffed. "What, like rocket launchers? 'Cause I don't think they sell those at the local Walmart."

Levi smirked. "Maybe not. But I know where we can get some."

The Armory Raid

Two nights later, Levi led them to an old National Guard outpost just outside Derry. It was abandoned, but that didn't mean it was empty.

"How the hell do you know about this place?" Beverly whispered as they crouched near the fence.

Levi shrugged. "I have my ways."

They snuck in, using the cover of darkness. Levi had Imperiused a local officer earlier that day to get the security codes. Breaking in was easy.

Inside, rows of firearms, explosives, and military gear lined the walls. It was a goldmine.

Richie's eyes went wide. "Holy shit, I feel like I just walked into a Call of Duty mission."

Beverly grabbed a grenade launcher, testing its weight. "This is insane."

"This is survival," Levi corrected, grabbing a belt of grenades and slinging it over his shoulder.

They loaded up.

Rifles. Shotguns. Grenades. Kevlar.

And then Levi found what he was looking for.

A flamethrower.

He grinned. "This will do nicely."

The Warning

As they left the armory, fully loaded for war, Stan hesitated.

"Are we sure about this?" he asked. "I mean… what if this isn't enough? What if we still can't kill him?"

Levi turned to face him, his expression unreadable. "Then we keep trying until we do."

Before Stan could respond, the streetlights flickered.

The air turned cold.

And then—a voice.

"You're making this so much fun."

They froze.

Pennywise's laughter echoed around them, coming from nowhere and everywhere at once.

Levi clenched his fists.

"Enjoy your toys, little Losers," the clown purred. "I'll be seeing you soon."

Then—silence.

They stood there, the weight of what was coming pressing down on them.

Beverly gripped her rifle. "Next time, we finish this."

Levi smirked. "Next time, we burn the bastard alive."