There's No Place Like Hawkins//Stranger Things. SH

SEVENTY SEVEN

The Piggyback

With Max, Lucas and Erica dropped off at Creel House for their side of the plan, the rest of the Hawkins group found themselves waiting inside the stolen caravan. Steve had parked it in the woods by the trailer park, where they waited for the sun to set so they could sneak past the other homes and into Eddie's without being spotted.

At the front of the Winnebago, Nancy began to pace as she went over the plan. It was almost time to go, but she was stressed that something was going to go wrong- Cat couldn't help but feel the same way. "Okay. I wanna run through it one more time." Nancy spoke, turning around to face the others as she momentarily paused her pacing. "Phase one."

"We meet Erica at the playground." Cat answered. "Then she'll signal Max and Lucas when we're ready." She reached her hand up to where Steve's was resting on her shoulder and intertwined their fingers.

"Phase two."

"Max baits Vecna." Steve said with a sigh, repeating the next step in the group's plan. "He'll go after her, which'll put him in his trance." He was still against Max using herself as bait, and if Steve had his way none of the group would be placing themselves in harm's way just so they could have a chance of getting to Vecna.

Nancy looked around at the others for a moment. "Phase three?"

"Me and Eddie draw the bats away." Dustin answered her, pointing over his shoulder to the older boy. Eddie reached forward and ruffled Dustin's hair through the hood of his jumper, small affectionate smiles on both of their faces.

Nancy nodded at them. "Four."

"We head into Vecna's hopefully newly bat-free lair, and..." Robin spoke up from where she was sat across from Cat. She waved one of the bottles in the air slightly, the liquid sloshing around inside. "...Flambé."

"Nobody moves on to the next phase until we've all copied." Nancy told them all, her voice deadly serious. "Nobody deviates from the plan, no matter what. Got it?"

The rest of the group nodded their heads, voicing a collective "Got it". They picked up all of their makeshift weapons and filed out of the caravan. Cat made sure to stick closer to Steve as they walked to the edge of the woods and then, once they were sure the coast was clear, ran over to Eddie's trailer. Steve pulled the door open, leading them in one by one and switching on the living room light.

"Be careful." Dustin said to Steve as the Harrington boy shrugged off his heavy backpack and put down the axe he had picked up at War Zone.

"Thanks, buddy." Steve nodded at him, stepping up to the makeshift ladder between the two worlds.

Cat smiled softly at him, watching as he began to pull himself up the rope. When he reached the portal, he paused for a moment before dropping himself to the floor, flipping over dramatically and landing on his feet. He glanced up at the group, shrugging his shoulders before disappearing from view.