𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲

x. switched roles.

    

     AFTER WAKING up Steve, Robin and Lucas, the group headed out in Nancy's car, the girl riding in the driver side, Robin in passenger side with Lucas, Max and James in the backseat with Dustin and Steve way in the back. On the arrival, everyone hopped out one by one and James turned to Max, shutting the door behind her before they walk up the steps leading to the boarded up, abandoned house.

"Yeah, that's not creepy."

Steve and James now work together on taking off the nails of the plywood hammered to the front door. "What exactly are we supposed to be looking for in this shithole?" Steve asked suddenly and James glanced over. "Not sure... just that this house is important. Especially to that slimy fleshy fuck." He says and Steve glanced over at him.

"Because Max saw it in Vecna's red soup mind world?" He asked and James sighs. "I guess." He whispers. "Great." Steve replied, turning back to the door as James got the last nail on his side. "Maybe it holds a clue to where Vecna is. Why he's back. Why he killed the Creels. And how to stop him before he comes back for Max." Dustin spoke up and James glanced over at the girl with the walkman headphones around her neck. "We don't think he's in here, do we?" Lucas then asked them all.

"Guess we'll find out." Max said as Steve looks at James. "Ready?" He asked and James nods. They let the plywood drop and James looks at the door with the old stained glass, before trying the door. "It's locked." He sighs and Steve looks at him. "Should I knock, see if anybody's home?" The Harrington looks at James who just smiles faintly. "Nah." He shook his head and Steve realized what he was doing.

"James. That's super dangerous." He says and James shrugs. "We'll see." He says, finished up wrapping his hand in his jacket he taken off. "James, that's really stup--" Nancy's cut off with the sound of shattering glass because James already punched through it.

Thankfully none of it hits James or pierces his skin so he retracted his hand. "See?" He said before he pulled his jacket back on. "You're really stupid for a college student, you do know that, right?" Steve asked and James tilts his head, grinning. "Aw, we switched roles. I find that so cute." He says and Steve rolled his eyes, reaching inside the door.

James and Steve enter the home, one of the two taking out a flashlight he switched on as the others enter the home. "Looks like someone forgot to pay their electric bill." Lucas said when he tried switching open a lamp and Dustin raised his flashlight, switching it on.

"Where'd everyone get those?" Steve asked making Dustin turn to him. "Do you need to be told everything? You're not a child." He says to the nineteen year old. "Thank you." Steve says and James chortles as Dustin took off his backpack, handing it over.

"Back pocket." He says before he walks away with James, searching around. "Hey, guys?" Max caught their attention. "You all see that right?" She asked and they all walk over to her. "Yeah." They confirm at the sight of the grandfather clock as James stood in front of it with Steve beside him. "Is this what you saw?" Nancy asked as Steve looked at James.

He wanted to ask as well. "In your visions?" Nancy added and Max nods to confirm. "I mean, it's... just a clock. Right?" Robin says as James stared directly at the face of the clock. Robin walked over and awiped her hand over the glass. "Like a normal old clock." She turns to the others. "Why is this wizard obsessed with clocks?" James whispered quietly.

"Maybe he's, like, a clockmaker or something?" Steve says and James turns to look at him with a confused look. "I think you cracked the case, Steve." Dustin says and James glanced away, shaking his head softly. "All I know is the answers are here. Somewhere." Nancy said and looked around at them.