California Dreamin' | Eddie Munson

Twenty

Darkness had spread across the sky, disguising the last bit light as it from day to night after dropping Max, Lucas and Erica off at Victor's Creel house before the others found themselves parked somewhere deep in the woods. Nancy Wheeler was currently running though the plan, again. "Right okay I want to run through it one more time. Phase one?"

"So we meet Erica at the playground to which she will then signal Max and Lucas when we're ready." Robin informed.

"Phase two?" Nancy said.

"Max baits Vecna. He'll go after her, which will put him in a trance." Steve said.

"And phase three?" Nancy said, looking over at Lila who currently had her head in-between her knees.

"Me, Dustin and Eddie will somehow draw those blasted bats away." Lila answered, still bent over her head between her legs.

"Four?" Nancy asked.

"We head into Vecna's newly bat-free lair, and flambé." Robin said, shaking the bottle of fuel in the air.

"Okay and nobody moves on to the next phrase, until we've all copied. Nobody deviates from the plan, no matter what. Got it?" Nancy says sternly.

"Got it." Everyone says, before starting to move out the van.

"Lila? Lila?" Eddie says, trying to grab her attention.

"Sorry." Lila says, lifting her head up before getting up and walking out.

The group made their way towards the Munson trailer, quickly jogging towards it only for Lila to stop mid track. "Hey?" Eddie calls out to her, as he stoped for the girl. "It's going to be okay." He says, grabbing her hand and squeezing it.

Steve was first to approach the front door, quickly opening it and turning on all the lights, before being the first one to climb through.

"Please be careful." Dustin said.

"Yeah thanks buddy. Right well here goes nothing." Steve said, before he climbed up the rope and down into the Upside Down where he was quick to jump off searching for the mattress.

"Wow. What, does he want us to applaud?" Lila muttered sarcastically, earning a small chuckle from Robin.

"Right?" Robin said, chuckling.

"Alright let's go." Steve shouts, as he places the mattress down. Nancy went next, then some of the weapons before it was Eddie's turn. His weapons were dropped down before Lila went next, Eddie helping her up, then Robin before the last set of weapons came through, Dustin went last

After gearing up, the group were already out the door. Lila being the one to close it door behind her, watching Steve stopping to speak. Hey, listen if things here start going south, I mean this and I really mean at all, you abort. Okay? Draw attention of the bats, keep them busy for some time, and we'll take care of Vecna. Please don't try to be a hero or something, okay? You guys are just-"

"Decoys yeah we know." Lila said as she was coming down the steps. "You can be the hero Steve, but you better be careful." She said sternly.

"Also, I mean come on look at us." Eddie started to say. "We are not heroes."

"Don't try anything that isn't part of the plan, especially you Lila. Be careful." Steve said, before going in hug his sister which her off guard.

"I know, I will be, we will be" Lila said, hugging him tighter before Steve pulled away.

"Hey uh Steve?" Eddie said, as he approached the  two siblings quickly. "Make that son of a bitch pay." He said, which received a small nod from Steve before the three walked away.