The group had pulled up to Victor Creels house, everyone hesitated before they opened their doors to walk out in front of the abandoned estate. Max was the one leading the group up the steps as they paused to take in the scene.
Each and every window boarded up with multiple planks of wood, the vines from the trees draping over the roof meeting halfway with plants that grew over the porch.
"Yeah...that's not creepy." Steve said as he shook his head.
They headed up to the front door as Dustin opened his backpack revealing some supplies they'll need. Steve reached in and grabbed a hammer as he quickly started to pry out the nails that held the planks of wood down.
"What exactly are we supposed to be looking for in this shithole?" Steve asked as Julia stood opposite of him with another hammer ripping out the rest of the nails in the door frame.
"We're not sure. We just know this house is important to Vecna." Nancy spoke up from behind as she imagined the drawings Max had created.
"Because Max saw it in Vecna's red soup mind world?"
"Basically."
"Great." Steve slouched against the door for a moment before continuing.
"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." Julia raised her hand with the hammer up and pointed it in the direction of Dustin in agreement with him.
"We don't think he's in here, do we?" Lucas asked as Max responded from next to him, "guess we'll find out."
"Ready?" Steve asked his girl as she hummed a 'mmh.' The group behind the couple stepped back as they pushed the piece of wood that covered the doorframe down. Everyone's eyes landed on the dirt covered glass frame of the rose in the center of the door.
Steve attempted to open the door only to be stopped by the locks. "Should I knock, see if anybody's home?"
"No need," Everyone turned their heads to the blonde as she held up a brick, "I found a key." She smirked.
Steve and Julia stood in front of the kids as Nancy and Robin backed up from the front door. With a swift throw the heavy brick broke through the beautiful stained glass art.
Steve carefully reached in and unlocked the door as everyone slowly walked through, examining the decrepit house covered in dust and spiderwebs.
Lucas attempted to turn on the closest lamp only for it to just click and not turn on. "Looks like someone forgot to pay their electric bill."
Dustin pursed his lips as he turned on his flashlight followed by everyone else except Steve, "where'd everyone get those?"
Dustin turned around to him with a look of awe on his face, "do you need to be told everything? You're not a child." Steve glared at the younger Henderson.
"Thank you." Dustin hummed as he took his backpack off and passed it to Harrington, "back pocket."
"That's my man." Julia jokingly grinned as she placed a delicate kiss on his cheek.
"And no one else's." He muttered low enough for only him to hear as he dropped Dustin's backpack on the floor.
"They just left everything."
Nancy panned her flashlight over the dusty furniture and decorations.
"I guess a triple homicide isn't good for resale value." Robin commented from the side of the Wheeler girl looking at her as she made eye contact with the blonde.
"Hey guys?" Max called out to everyone, "you all see that right?" She asked, her flashlight directed on a dusty grandfather clock that was hung on the wall.
Everyone confirmed to her they could, she remained silent as her eyes were trained to the clock.
"Is this what you saw in your visions?" Julia asked from behind the redhead. Max said nothing but nodded her head.
"I mean it's... just a clock. Right?" Robin peered around Max before walking up to the dusty object.
Her hand wiped across the top panel revealing the hands of the clock. "Like a normal old clock."
"Why's this wizard obsessed with clocks? Maybe he's like a clockmaker or something?"
Julia couldn't help but grin to herself as her brother sarcastically responded to her boyfriend, "I think you cracked the case, Steve."
"All I know is the answers are here. Somewhere. Okay everyone stay in groups of two except one of three. Robin, upstairs."
"Come on, let's go." Max said to Lucas as the two of them walked off together.
Steve grabbed Julia's hand as he made eye contact with Dustin who had a shit eating grin on his face, he pulled Julia away from her brother as he sighed, knowing Dustin was going to tag along with the couple.
"Was that a sigh?" Dustin asked from behind them. "No, I did not sigh." "Why'd you sigh?"
"I didn't sigh, just come on dude." Steve called from the middle of the steps as the curly haired boy trotted up the stairs to meet the two.
"I heard you!" Dustin accused. "Sometimes I want some alone time with your sister man... we're all just always partners."
"You have a problem with that?"
"If you guys continue on with this argument I may drop kick you both lovingly down the steps." Julia pitched in as she gave Steve's hand a small squeeze of affection.
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The trio walked into a room as Steve spoke up, "Hey uh, mini henderson?"
"Yup?"
"Could you maybe, uh, clarify what sort of clues we're supposed to be looking for here?"
"The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes." Dustin quoted in a British accent, only drawing an awkward silence as Steve just stared at the younger Henderson.
"Sherlock Holmes." The siblings said in unison, still not getting a reaction from Steve.
Dustin scoffed at him before walking away, "that's great. Thanks. That's great. Really helpful."
"Hold on, I'll try to get something actually helpful out of him." Julia quickly kissed his cheek before following her little brother.
Steve stood there, still annoyed at the mini Henderson as his flashlight skimmed the floor of the bathroom, a soft glimmer catching his eye.
He removed the vent cover to reveal a small pit filled with Mason jars. Each jar had leaves and sticks, but as Steve picked one up he realized the jars contained a black widow spider.
He examined the arachnid for a moment before he began to feel tiny legs crawling on his shoulder. To his dismay, a spider was on his left shoulder and crawling up to his face.
He dropped the glass jar, quickly backing away from the vent as he watched the jar shatter. Steve backed all the way into the hallway, bumping into his girl as he started to calm down.
"Woah, hey, what's wrong?" She asked him as he caught his breath. His eyes met hers as he grounded him self to try to calm down.
"There was a spider." "What?" "It's a black widow." He quickly reached behind him and shut the door.
"Don't go in there." He began to turn around when Julia noticed a spider web caught in his hair.
"Wait, babe hold on." She gently placed her hand on his shoulder and pinched out the cobweb from the back of his head. She swiped her hands across his shoulders and back to clean him up a bit.
"If there's a spider nesting in there you're never gonna find it till it lays eggs and all the babies spill out." Robin's voice came from behind them.
"what's wrong with you?" Steve asked, facing Julia as they heard the blonde chuckle at them; Nancy following behind her.
"Robin, seriously. She's got problems." "Yeah but we love her." Julia grinned at him as his hands held her waist, her hands remained in his hair combing it out so he wouldn't worry about spider babies in there.
"It pains me to say, but yeah. Maybe after we find Vecna, kill him, save the world and stuff, maybe we can all go out or something. You know? Me, you, Robin, Nancy, Jonathan, when he's back."
Steve watched his girlfriend's face break out in a soft smile as she imagined a normal day where she could hang out with her friends.
"I'll be counting down the days." Her hand reached up and combed its way through his hair, his head quickly leaning into her touch.
He dipped his head down to place a gentle kiss to her lips. Both of their stomachs fluttered with butterflies that begged to be set free.
Steve's hand found hers, his fingers playing with the promise ring he'd gotten her. His heartbeat never failing to skip a beat each time he caught a glimpse of her still wearing it. She pulled away to catch her breath as he rested his forehead against hers.
"As much as I want to continue, we should get back to it."