"The way he looks at her. Like she's the most important thing in the world to him." "I think she is."
Experiment X - that's was she was known as. A dangerous weapon that belonged to a lab in the Soviet Union. An assassin. A spy.
A seventeen year old...
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— IRRATIONAL —
WHEN ROBIN AND Irina finally rejoined the others, Nancy was stood by the windows speaking her thoughts on their current Vecna situation.
"Whatever's happening in Lenora is connected to all of this, I'm sure of it. But Vecna can't hurt them. Not if he's dead." Nancy said, referring to Joyce and the others. "We have to go back in their. Back to the Upside Down."
"Nope." Eddie quickly protested.
"No, no, no, what?" Let's think this through." Steve said.
"What is there to think through?" Nancy snapped.
"We barely made it out of there in once piece!" Steve argued.
"Yeah, because we weren't prepared! But this time we will be. We'll get weapons and protection. We'll go through the gate, we'll find his lair, and we'll kill him." Nancy planned.
"Or he'll kill us." Steve said. "The only reason you survived is because he wanted you to. He's not scared of us."
"And for good reason. We were wrong about Vecna... Henry... One. Sorry, what are we calling him now?" Robin asked.
"One." Dustin said.
"Vecna." Erica disagreed.
"Henry." Nancy argued.
"Asshole." Irina said.
"Right... we've learned something new about Vecna/Henry/One/Asshole. He's a number, like Eleven. Only a sick, evil, male, child-murdering version of her with really bad skin. But m-my point is, he's super powerful. He could turn us inside out with a snap of his fingers. It's not a fair fight." Robin shut everyone up with her rambling.
"You're right. He's like Eleven. But that gives us an upper hand. We know her strengths and weaknesses." Dustin said. "When El travels, she goes into this sort of trance-like state. I bet the same would happen for Vecna."
"I bet that's what he was doing in the attic." Lucas pointed out.
"Exactly. When he attacks his next victim, I'll bet you he's back in that attic, physical body defenceless." Dustin told everyone.
"Defenceless? Yeah, what about the army of bats?" Steve asked, gesturing to his marked up neck.
"True, we'll have to find a way past them. Distract them somehow." Dustin said.
"And, uh, how do we do that exactly?" Eddie questioned.
"No idea. But once they're gone, he doesn't stand a chance. It'll be like slaying sleeping Dracula in his coffin." Dustin explained.
"That all sounds good in theory, but there is no pattern to Vecna's killings. I mean, at least not one that I can decipher. We don't know when he's going to attack next. We don't even know who he's going to attack." Robin criticised.
"Yes we do." Irina spoke up, catching everyone's attention. "I can still feel him. I'm still marked. Cursed. I ditch Kate Bush, I draw his focus back to me." She sighed.
"No. Irina, you can't. That's not happening. He'll kill you." Steve immediately shut that idea down, stepping to her side in an instant.
"Steve, I survived before. I can survive again." Irina told him. "I just need you to keep him busy long enough so that you guys can get into that attic. Then you can chop his head off. Stab him in the heart. Blow him up with some explosives Dustin cooks up or whatever. I don't care how you do it, just put this asshole in his grave. Whatever you do, just try not to miss." Irina explained with a gulp.
"No, Irina, it's out of the question." Steve said.
"Steve, we haven't got any other options." Lucas told him.
"Lucas is right, Steve. She can do it." Dustin reassured him - or at least attempted to. Just as he went to speak again, Irina cut him off.
"This is the only way." She said, taking his hand in hers.
"I'm coming with you. And if you even start levitating and inch off of the ground, the headphones are going straight on, okay?" Steve laid out his terms.
"Okay." Irina agreed.
Eleven watched the whole conversation play out through her powers. Irina was putting herself at risk once again. Her sister was potentially going to die for Hawkins. She couldn't let that happen. She had to get away from Brenner and help Irina. She had to get back to Hawkins.
***
Eddie told the group about a store that he'd been to once called 'the War Zone' that sold all sorts of weapons and dangerous gadgets that they could use against the bats in the Upside Down and to take down Vecna. The only issue was the distance. The store was just outside of Hawkins.
"Is it worth the time? It'll take all day to bike there and back." Dustin pointed out.
"Who said anything about bikes?" Eddie asked.
"You got some sort of car we don't know about?" Steve questioned.
"It's not exactly a car, Steve. It's not exactly mine, but, uh... it'll do." Eddie responded. "Hey, Red, you got a ski mask or a bandana, something like that?" He asked, turning to Max, who lent him her Michael Myers mask she wore for Halloween.
The group snuck out of the trailer, following Eddie's lead towards a couple's camper van. They were lead round to the back to an open window where they all climbed in and Eddie locked the door before hopping into the drivers seat and hot wiring the van.
"Uh, Eddie, I'm not sure I love the idea of you driving." Robin said.
"Oh, I'm just starting the sucker. Harrington's got her. Don't ya, big boy?" Eddie grinned and Steve just blinked as the car started up, catching the attention of the couple who owned it. The two of them began banging on the windows and Eddie hopped out of the drivers seat so Steve could sit there. Irina jumped into the passenger seat while everyone else sat on the sofa's in the back and held on for dead life.
"Shit." Steve cursed. "Everybody hang onto something!"
"Drive, Steve, drive!" Dustin screamed and Steve slammed his foot down. "Shit, they look pissed."
"I mean, it's not everyday you lose your house and car in one fell swoop." Robin gasped.
"Hold on, hold on!" Steve yelled as they took a sharp turn and onto the road.
"Shit, babe, maybe you are the best driver." Irina breathed out as the car steadied.
"Told you so." Steve smirked down at her. He watched a small smile grow on her face as she stared out of the window, but his gaze flickered up to her eyes and that's when he knew something was wrong. Something other than Vecna.
