slay 'em dead//Steve Harrington

35

"What is there to think through?" Nancy questions.

"We barely made it out of there in one piece," Steve reminds her.

"Yeah, because we weren't prepared," Nancy argues. "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."

"Or he'll kill us," Steve counters. "The only reason you survived is because he wanted you to. He's not scared of us."

"And for good reason," Robin says. "We were wrong about Vecna. Henry. One. Sorry, what are we calling him now?"

"One," Dustin and Lucas say.

"Vecna," Erica says.

"Henry," Nancy states.

"Right. We've learned something new about Vecna/Henry/One," Robin insists. "He's a number like Eleven, only a sick, evil, male, child-murdering version of her with really bad skin. But my... my point is, he's super powerful. Could turn us inside out with a snap of his fingers. It's not a fair fight."

"Then why fight fair?" Dustin asks. "You're right. He's like Eleven. But that gives us an upper hand. We know Eleven's strengths. And weaknesses."

"Weaknesses?" Erica asks in disbelief.

"When El remote-travels, she goes into this sort of trance-like state," Dustin explains. "I bet the same is true of Vecna."

"That would explain what he was doing in that attic," Lucas states.

"Exactly," Dustin says. "When he attacks his next victim, I'll bet you he's back in that attic, physical body defenseless."

"Defenseless?" Steve gestures to the bruise on his neck. "What about the army of bats?"

"True. We'll have to find a way past them," Dustin reasons. "Distract them somehow."

"And, uh, how do we do that, exactly?" Eddie asks as he stands up.

"No idea," Dustin admits. Eddie sits back down. "But once they're gone, he doesn't stand a chance. It'll be like slaying sleeping Dracula in his coffin."

"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," Robin says. "We don't know when he's going to attack next. We don't even know who he's going to attack."

"Yeah, we do," Max insists. "I can still feel him. I'm still marked. Cursed. I ditch Kate Bush; I draw his focus back to me."

"Max. You can't," Lucas protests. "He'll kill you."

"I survived before. I can survive again," Max insists. "I just need 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 explosive Dustin cooks up. I honestly don't care how you put this asshole in his grave. Just... whatever it is... whatever you do... try not to miss."

Eddie grabs a phonebook and puts it down on the kitchen table. "Check this out. The War Zone. I've been there once. It's huge. They got everything you need for, uh... well, killing things, basically."

"You think fake Rambo has enough guns there?" Robin remarks. "Is that a grenade? I mean, how is any of this legal?"

"Well, lucky for us it is, so," Eddie states. "This... This place is just far enough outside of Hawkins. As long as we steer clear of main roads, we oughta be able to avoid cops and, uh, angry hicks."

"If we're trying to avoid angry hicks, maybe we shouldn't go to some store called the War Zone," Erica reasons.

"Normally, I'd agree, but we need the weapons," Nancy says. "So, I think it's worth the risk."