𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑠𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛, 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨

→ 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙮

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"OKAY, BE HONEST. UH... YOU GUYS UNDERSTAND ANY OF THIS?" STEVE ASKED AS HE SAT IN MIKE WHEELER'S BASEMENT, LUCAS AND DUSTIN SAT WITH HIM. Lucas had joined them since he ran away from his basketball team, realising the were bat shit insane. Max sat away from them, writing something down. "No." Lucas let out, the three examining the articles about Victor Creel they had been given by Nancy and Robin. "Pretty straightforward." Dustin let out quickly, worrying about Seb. They hadn't been able to tell Lucas yet, the discovery of Max being one of Vecna's victim being more important. "Oh, straightforward, really?" Steve mocked, pacing the room as Dustin sat down.

"What's confusing to you?" He asked, Steve ignoring him. "So far, everyone Vecna has cursed has died, except for this old Victor Creel dude Nancy found. He's the only known survivor. If anyone knows how to beat this curse, it's him." Dustin explained, Steve stopping in his spot. "That's assuming he was cursed, Henderson, which we don't even know." He spoke, Dustin sighing. "How can Vecna have existed in the '50s? It doesn't make sense." Steve rubbed his forehead, genuinely complexed at how this all ties together. "Far as we know, Eleven didn't create the Upside Down. She opened a gate to it." Dustin began, not noticing Steve and Lucas staring at him.

"The Upside Down has probably been around for thousands of years. Millions. I wouldn't be surprised if it predated the dinosaurs." Dustin shrugged, Lucas sighing. "Dinosaurs? What are we-" "Okay." Lucas interrupted Steve. "But if a gate didn't exist in the '50s, how did Vecna get through?" Lucas asked, Steve pointing to him. "How's he getting through?" He repeated to Dustin, Lucas humming. "And why now?" He asked, urging Steve's conversation. "And why then? Just pops out in the '50s, kills one family, and he's like, 'I'm good.' And poof, he just disappears. Just... gone?" Steve motioned, Dustin leaning back in his seat. "Only to return 30 years later and start killing random teens? No, I don't buy it." Dustin watched Steve sigh, pacing once more.

"Straightforward, my ass." He huffed, turning back to Dustin slightly. "Honestly, Henderson, a little humility now and then, it wouldn't hurt you." Steve stated, Dustin nodding. "Sorry." He uttered out as if he was being scolded by his mother, Steve sitting in his own seat as he crossed one leg over the other, nodding smartly. The three fell in silence, Dustin leaning over to see Max writing very quickly in her own world. "Any idea what she's writing?" His voice fell to a whisper, Lucas looking up. He only shrugged, the three looking at Max's back. "Did she sleep?" Dustin asked again, Lucas lost. "I mean, would you?" He asked, the three flinching once a door opened.

Robin and Nancy sped down, smiles on their faces.

"Okay, so... we have a plan."

☆

"THANKS TO NANCY'S MINIONS, WE ARE NOW ROCK-STAR PYSCHOLOGY STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME." ROBIN SPOKE, NANCY HUMMING AS EVERYONE LOOKED THROUGH THE FILES THEY FORGED. "I'm now Ruth." Nancy stated, Robin nodding. "And I'm Rose." Robin nodded, Steve looking to Nancy. "Ruth?" He asked, Nancy shrugging. "Nice GPA." Dustin complimented, Nancy smiling to him. "Thanks. So we called Pennhurst Asylum, told them we'd like to speak with Victor Creel, for a thesis we're co-writing on paranoid schizophrenics-" "To which they said no." Robin added, Steve letting go of the file.