She was in the backseat. It was a quiet car ride. "You know he wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you." A dark voice echoed in her head making her stiff. "If he never got together with you. He would be across the country right now, having the time of his life at parties. But, instead, he is in a mess again."
"My parents cut me off. Now, I'm stuck in this cursed town with you." Steve glares at her in the rearview mirror.
"Huh?" She pushed back into the seat.
"If it wasn't for you. I wouldn't have met Steve and I wouldn't be here either." Robin, who was in the passenger seat, turned to snarl at her. "You know what we should do, we should tie her up in that Darling of hers and push it into a lake." She turned to the driver.
"It would be better for everyone." Dustin agrees. "A clingy mom is one thing but an evil suicidal sister who prays that our mom dies young is too much."
"I don't want to have those thoughts." She grabs the roots of her hair.
"But, you do and that's disgusting. I would do anything to have Billy back. He wasn't nice to me. You're wishing your sweet mother to die." Max looks out the window not wanting to see her.
"Just die now." Dustin opens the door of the speeding car to push her out. She screams as she meets the hot pavement.
In her attempt to save herself in her dreams, she jolted, making her head slam into the side window. "Fuck." She made her headache worse. She looked around, realizing she was in the passenger seat. Robin, Dustin, and Max are in the back. Steve glanced at her from the driver's seat.
"Maybe if you talk about the nightmare, they'll go away." Dustin watches her.
"If they are what you think they are then I doubt it works like that." She sneers.
They pull up to the house on Lover's lake. The group got out to head to the boat house. Steve and she trailed in the back. "I know you said they're dark but I'm not your little brother. I'm supposed to be your partner. You shouldn't have to go through this alone."
"Are you telling me you share every dark thought with me?" She crosses her arms feeling exposed.
"Yeah, I told you about breaking into my dad's safe and pawning a watch he got from my grandfather. It wasn't like I needed the money. I just wanted to hurt him after being called a failure a hundred times. That was an action, not just a thought." He wasn't sure what was going on. If her nightmare were Vecna's fault or her own conscience but either way he wanted to help.
"I might have been the virgin at the beginning of this relationship but I think you're actually the pure one." She followed the rest of the group into the boat house. Steve went along feeling defeated.
"Delivery Service." Dustin held up the bags. Eddie let out a sigh before grabbing the bags to stuff his face. "So we got some good news and bad news. How do you prefer?"
"Bad news first, always?" He would need the good news to cheer him up.
"Okay, bad news, we tapped into the Hawkins PD dispatch with our Cerebro, and they're definitely looking for you. Also, they're pretty sure you killed Chrissy." He gave it to him.
"Like they are not even looking into other leads." Lyn was annoyed with that.
"And the good news?" He didn't see what would be able to cheer him up.
"Your name hasn't gone public yet, but if we found out about you it would only be a matter of time before others do." Robin gave him that. "And once that gets out everyone and their shallow-minded mothers are going to be gunning for you."
"Hunt the freak, right?" He held back a sob.
"Guess we didn't have any good news, sorry." Lyn wished she could expose the Upside Down so they could avoid situations like this.
"Before it happens, we have to find Vecna, kill him, and prove your innocence." Dustin gave the list in a cheerful voice.
"That's all Dustin, that's all." Eddie scoffs.
"Yeah, no, that's pretty much it." He shrugs.
"Listen, Eddie, I know everything Dustin says sounds totally delusional but we've actually done this before. I mean they have a few times…" She gestures to the rest of the group. "I've only done it once. Mines was more of a human flesh-based monster, theirs was more smoke-related but the bottom line is, collectively, we got this."
"We usually rely on this girl who has superpowers but those went bye-bye." Steve scratched the side of his face.
"Technically we are in more of a…." Robin scrambles along with the rest of them to find the word.
"Brainstorming phases," Max adds.
"This isn't making him feel better." Lyn climbed into the boat with him. "Eddie, we beat this thing every time using D&D logic."
"Seriously?" He raised his eyebrows.
"There was the Demogorgon, the Mind flayer, and now Vecna. I'm confident that we got this because we got you." She nods to him.
"What?" He didn't see how he could be anyone's vote of confidence.
"You've done this campaign, Eddie." Dustin caught on to what she was trying to do. "No one knows more about Vecna than you."
"I suppose but… we're talking about real life here, not a game that I'm controlling." He pointed out the big difference.
A police siren put them all on edge. "Out of the boat." Steve orders Lyn. "You lie down and Robin puts the tarp on him."
They did that before running to the window to watch the police and ambulance pass them. "An ambulance?" Lyn knew it couldn't be for Eddie. They pile into Steve's car to check it out. They pulled up to the scene to see Nancy talking to the cops. When Lyn stepped out of the car, she froze as her vision blurred. Fred was in the forest and there was a grandfather clock acting as a casket in a funeral. Zombie-like people were calling him a murderer. He ran out to the road to find a car was on fire and someone was dragging themselves out begging Fred to help them. He backs away into an open grave leading his soul into the Upside Down. It reminds her of the tunnels they went through to get to the hive. A slimy, fleshy, tentacle monster stepped out of the shadows. After telling him to join him. He put his hands over Fred's face. He used his mind to break his limbs and jaw, and sink in his eyes.
"She was just in shock from seeing the body." She faded back to reality to see a paramedic shining a light in her eyes.
"This is why you kids can't be chasing after ambulances and police cars." The Sheriff told them.
"We're sorry…. I'm sorry." She stuttered before going back to the car.
"Alright, you kids go somewhere safe and stay with a group of people. There is safety in numbers." He advises them before going back to the crime scene.
"I'll meet you guys at the trailer park." Nancy got into her car.
They met Nancy and filled her in. "You're saying that this thing that killed Fred and Chrissy is from the Upside Down. Lyn has been getting visions from him." She did the bullet points.
"Yes…Our working theory is that he attacks with a spell or a curse. Whether he's doing the bidding of the mind flay or just loves killing teens, we don't know. But, maybe the person connected to him could help us." He looked at his sister.
"Can you stop making it sound like I'm working with him?" She was tired of him treating her like a suspect.
"All we know is that something is different. Something new." Max hated that this was a completely different tactic.
"Doesn't make sense." Nancy looks down at the table.
"It's just a theory." Dustin shrugs.
"No, Fred and Chrissy don't make sense… I mean why them?" She explains what she meant.
"Maybe in the wrong place at the wrong time." Dustin shrugged.
"No… it has to do with people. He takes over minds to do that he has to break them. He's picking off the vulnerable. People who already have an insecurity that he can twist. I don't know about Chrissy. I only saw her outer death but with Fred, I saw the delusion. I think he got into a car accident and killed someone. He's been feeling guilty about it." She didn't want to share personal thoughts but she felt like she had to help somehow.
"Fred had this scar on his face when people would ask him about it, he would shut down." Nancy thought back to those moments.
"Max said she found Chrissy crying." Dustin looks at the redhead.
"She was crying and throwing up in the bathroom in school." Max nods.
"Serial killers stalk their prey before they strike, right?" Robin thought it made sense. "So maybe they saw this Vecman…"
Dustin corrected her. "Vecna."
"I don't know about you guys but if I saw some freaky wizard monster I would tell someone. We saw what Lyn was going through, there was no way that someone didn't notice." Steve didn't see how someone in their lives wouldn't be concerned.
"You don't see him. I never saw him before watching him take Fred. But, I can see needing to tell someone about the nightmares." Lyn corrected.
"Maybe they did, I saw Chrissy leaving Ms. Kelley's office. You can't tell the police about nightmares. But you might go to your…" Max trailed off.
"Your shrink." Robin agrees.
They walk to the car with a new mission. Lyn notices Nancy heading to her car. "Nancy, we should stick together." She knew it was a tight fit but she would feel better with everyone together.
"I want to check on something first." Nancy pointed to her car.
"Something you want to share with the rest of us?" Dustin asks.
"I don't want to waste your time, it's a shot in the dark." She looks at her feet.
"Well, you can't go alone. Steve goes with her." Lyn pushed her boyfriend towards her.
"What?" He turned around to look at her shocked.
"She needs back up and I got three. She needs at least one." She took the keys from his pocket.
"Rosalyn, you're being haunted by some demon monster and you want me to separate from you." He stayed up most of the night watching her sleep, ready to shake her awake at any signs of a nightmare.
"It's in my head, no one can protect me." She took a step closer to whisper. "We don't know if anyone can survive once he gets in. I'm a ticking time bomb right now. I want you to be happy and you found that with her first."
"Are you out of your mind?" Steve was outraged that she thought he would give up on her and move on. "You might out want to fight for your life but I do." He snatched the keys out of her hand to get in the car.
"I'll go with Nancy, be her backup." Robin walks to Wheeler's car.
"Everyone get in the car." Steve rolled down the window to shout.
The band decided to practice without Eddie when a Jeep Cherokee pulled up. They stop playing when they notice the jocks coming up to the open garage. "You're a little early Fellas. Show not until next week." Gareth tried to approach it friendly even though he knew they weren't here in those kinds of terms.
"Oh, that was music?" Andy pointed with his hands in his pockets.
"We're looking for Eddie. He's in this band if that's what you call it." Jason looks around at the misfits in disgust.
"What do you care about?" Gareth wasn't going to hand over his friend to these bullies.
"That's our business." He didn't need to answer him.
His eyes travel to Lucas. "Lucas? What are you doing with these douchebags?"
"You know these freaks, Sinclair?" Jason looked back at him.
"They know my sister. They tried to recruit me to their club, cult." He needs to stick with these guys to try and stop them from doing anything dangerous.
"Lucas, what the hell." Jeff knew Mike said he was on the basketball team but didn't think he turned into an asshole.
"We're just trying to find Eddie, man." He kept up the act.
"Well, you have eyes, don't you? He's not here." He glares. Jason, not liking that smartass answer, punched him in the face. Andy and Patrick held back the other band members.
"Where is he?" Jason held on to his collar.
"I don't know." He had no idea where Eddie was for sure.
"Let him go. Leave him alone." Jeff tried to get out of Andy's grip.
Jason throws him into his drum set and steps on his hand."It's gonna be hard to play those drums with a broken hand." He put more pressure on.
"Lyn!" He screams.
"What?" Jason didn't let up.
"Lyn! Lyn Henderson! Rosalyn Henderson!" He gave his suspicion of where Eddie was. Jason didn't take his foot off but he did stop the pressure.
"Steve Harrington's girlfriend, no way." Patrick shook his head.
"No, it's the truth." He screamed when Jason pushed down. "She called earlier asking for him. She called all of us individuals. She buys weed from him. Eddie got a thing for her. If he found she was looking for him he would run to her."
"See, now that wasn't hard." He pats the teen's back. "Where would I find this Henderson girl?"
Lucas shook his head, not believing he gave Lyn's name.
They were waiting for Max outside of the school counselor's house. "Okay, she's in." Steve watches her be let into the house.
"I'm missing my collarbone, not my eyes," Dustin said from the backseat. "So… are we going to talk about.. it?"
"Sorry, talk about what?" Steve asks.
"Talk about Lyn's temporary insanity moment when she throws you at Nancy." Dustin didn't have to hear their argument to get the situation.
"That's not what happened." She denies.
"That's what happened," Steve grumbled.
"I would like a piece of mind that everyone is going to be happy when or if I die." She looks at Steve from out of the corner of her eye not wanting him to lose it again.
"So, you are offering your boyfriend to his ex. That's healthy and not at all creepy." Dustin didn't see the logic.
"Shut up, Dustin. I will punch so hard in the face that your teeth will fall back out." She turned around in her seat to glare.
"Woah… too far." Dustin drew a line in the sand.
"Not cool," Steve told her.
"I'm sorry." She apologized to both of them.
"It's okay." Her little brother nods.
"We'll get through this." Steve needs to hear that more than anyone.
Max came running out and jumped in the car. "What did she say?" Dustin asks.
"Nothing, just drive." She slammed the door.
"Nothing?" He didn't know how she could come out here with no information.
"Steve, drive!" She shouted.
"Okay!" He took off.
"She didn't tell me anything but I was able to swipe the keys to her office." She held them up.
Jason pounds on Henderson's door. "No one's home." Patrick looked into the house along with Andy. He jumped back when Zoey jumped up to bark at him. "Shit!"
"You're scared of a small dog, Patrick." Andy laughed.
"Fuck off, man. It popped up out of no way." He watches the dog turn her head before running off.
"Her car is here." Jason pointed at it.
"Maybe they took Steve's car. I don't think Eddie is going to be here, Jason. They might buy stuff from him but I doubt Steve lets him hang around." Patrick thought this was a long shot.
"Fine, then we keep looking. This town is only so small, there are only so many places these freaks can burrow." He led them back to the jeep to notice it was empty. "Where the hell is Sinclair?"
Lucas climbs into Dustin's bedroom. He was greeted by the pug mix that was whining out of happiness. "Hush, Zoey." He picked up the dog and calmed her down before grabbing the walkie-talkie attached to the ham radio. "Dustin. Dustin, do you copy?"
"Lucas, where the hell have you been?" He asked.
"Are you guys looking for Eddie?" He knew they probably were.
"Yes, we found him. No thanks to you." He was bitter about his absence. "A boathouse on Coal Mill Road. Don't worry he's safe."
"You guys know he killed Chrissy, right?" He thought they should know they were helping a murderer.
"That's bullshit. Eddie tried to save Chrissy." Dustin didn't know how Lucas could doubt him.
"Then why do all the cops say he did it?" Lucas asked.
Lyn grabs the radio. "Lucas, the Upside down is back. Where are you? We'll swing by to pick you up if you are on the way to the school."
"No, Lyn you have to stay hidden. People are looking for you too. They know you were calling around for Eddie." Lucas warns.
"What?" She gasps.
"Lucas, just meet us at the school and we'll explain it." Max grabbed the radio.
"I can't… I think some really bad shit is about to go down here." Lucas told them.
"What are you talking about? What bad shit?" She asked.
"Sinclair!" He turns around to see Jason, Patrick, and Andy at the window. He put Zoey down before climbing out. "What the hell were you doing?"
"I was looking for clues." He told them.
"Clues? Freshman thinks he's Sherlock Holmes or something?" Patrick snickers. Andy high-fived him.
"Let's go." Jason nods to his car.
"I found one." Lucas couldn't let them find Lyn. What if they drove by the school and saw Steve's car?
"What?" Jason turned back to him.
"A clue. I know where Eddie's hiding." He was desperate to save his friend.
"Lucas! Lucas!" Dustin screams his name into the walkie.
"I think we can officially say we lost him." Steve hated the way his voice echoed through the car.
"Well, we're here so we'll have to go on without him. He knows where to find us." Max said as the car was parked.
"What does he mean people are looking for me?" Lyn grabs the hoodie she kept in there from the back to put it on.
"That's what happens when you call around asking for a suspected murder." Steve shrugs. She put the hood on and stuck her tongue out at him.
"Dustin, do you copy?" Robin's voice came over the walkie.
"Yeah, I copy." They got out of the car to follow Max into the school.
"So Nancy is a genius. Vecna's first victim dates back all the way to 1959. Her shot in the dark was a bull's eye." She told them.
"Okay, that's totally bonkers but I can't really talk right now." They used flashlights to go through the halls.
"What are you doing?" She asks.
"Breaking and entering school to retrieve confidential and extremely personal files." He told her.
"Do you want to repeat that?" She was shocked at them committing a crime.
"Just get your asses over here and we'll explain everything." He put the walkie down.
Max unlocks the door to let them into the office. "It's like a mini watergate or something." He looks around the room. "Hawkins Gate."
"Didn't those guys get caught?" Steve put the light on Max to allow her to read the folders.
"Holy shit!" Max pulled out a folder.
"You found it?" Lyn was surprised at how fast that was.
"Yeah, but not just Chrissy's folders. Fred was seeing Ms. Kelley too." She put them down on the desk. They open it up to look through the files. As they read it out, Max and Lyn were put on edge. The symptoms were the same: past trauma, headache, nightmare, and trouble sleeping.
"Did you get a nosebleed?" Dustin looks at her sister.
"Once that was when I was tired and Zoey pulled me into the tree." She thought of the last nosebleed she had.
"Good, not related." Dustin nods in approval.
"Have you seen any clocks?" Steve asks.
"No, but I've heard the tick-tock of a grandfather clock. Fred saw one in his death." She had thought the clock was a weird detail. "Max, how are you holding up?" She asked the teen. She turned to see her staring ahead.
"Max! Max!" They called her name but she didn't move.
"Oh my god, is this what I was like on the road?" She stared into Max's unresponding eyes.
"Yes, terrifying isn't it?" Steve hated this. This was the scariest thing by far that the Upside Down had done.