Once the group had been well and truly convinced that Eddie was telling the truth and was definitely innocent, they returned the next morning with multiple shopping bags clutched in their hands. "Delivery service," Dustin called cheerfully as they pushed open the shed door, revealing Eddie still on edge and prepped to attack once more. Maggie could only imagine that she would probably react the same if she had ended up in the same situation. 

Eddie began to eat his food rapidly, as the group positioned themselves around him once more. "So, we got, uh, some good news and some bad news." Dustin started. "How do you prefer it?"

"Bad news first, always," Eddie stated matter of factly. 

"All right. Bad news. We tapped into the Hawkins PD dispatch with our Cerebro and they're definitely looking for you." Dustin revealed. "Also, they're, uh, pretty convinced you killed Chrissy."

"Like, 100% kind of convinced," Max added. 

"And the good news?" Eddie asked hopefully. 

"Your name hasn't gone public yet," Maggie interjected, offering Eddie a look of reassurance. 

"But if we found out about you, it's a matter of time before others do." Robin continued. "And once that gets out, everyone and their shallow-minded mother is gonna be gunning for you."

"Hunt the freak, right?" Eddie returned pessimistically. 

"So, before that happens, we find Vecna, kill him and prove your innocence," Dustin revealed promptly. 

"That's all, Dustin? That's all?" 

"Yeah, no, that's pretty much it." Dustin continued with a smile. 

"Listen, Eddie, I know everything Dustin is saying sounds totally delusional, but we've actually been through this before. I mean, they have a...a few times, and.. and I have once." Robin added hopefully. "Mine was more human-flesh-based, theirs was more smoke-related, but bottom line is, collectively, I really feel we got this." 

"And I'm in the same boat as you, so I can't really help you there," Maggie added unhelpfully. 

"We usually rely on this girl who has superpowers. But, uh, those went bye-bye, so..." Steve returned. 

"So we're technically in more of the.."

"Kinda..." 

"Brainstorming phase," Max concluded. 

"Brainstorming," Steve repeated in agreement. 

"There...There's nothing to worry about."

The sound of sirens interrupted the group, Maggie immediately pointing to the tarp that Eddie had previously been hiding under. "Tarp. Tarp." She said, helping to make sure he was fully covered before looking over to everyone who had gathered by the window. 

"They passed us," Steve revealed with a sigh, turning back to convey the news to Maggie. 

"Yeah, but that still can't be good," Robin added. "We probably should go see what's up."

The group began to move back to Steve's car, Eddie calling Maggie's name as she moved to exit the shed with the others. 

"Maggie, you know I'm sorry right?" Eddie started, a look of guilt crossing his face. "I know I shouldn't have left you and your Dad in the lurch back then. But after Kaira..." He trailed off unable to meet Maggie's eyes, as she tried to swallow the lump that had built up in her throat. "I didn't know what to do, so I ran away. And I'm sorry for that." 

"It's okay, Eddie." Maggie tried to smile sincerely, although the conversation pained her. "We've got bigger fish to fry right now, but maybe later after this is over, we could do something, just you and I, to celebrate her." 

"I'd like that." Eddie returned. 

"Are you coming Maggie?" Steve asked, framed in the doorway, looking over the interaction between Maggie and Eddie.

"Coming." Maggie returned, turning back to Eddie with a smile. "Stay safe, stay hidden and we'll be back soon, probably with more food." She finished, gesturing to where Eddie had already demolished most of the food they had brought before walking out of the shed. Steve trailed behind her as she ignored his questioning gaze. 

They had only been driving for a short while, following the path that the emergency vehicles had traced before coming upon the scene. Several emergency vehicles were dotted around the scene, a white sheet covered up something down the road and framed in the middle of it all was Nancy Wheeler talking with a group of officers. 

"You're saying that this thing that killed Fred and Chrissy, it's from the Upside Down?" Nancy clarified, looking around at the group who had just caught her up on the recent developments. 

They were gathered on a picnic table in the middle of the trailer park, it was the closest area to where they had found Nancy that could work as a base. Maggie looked over to her trailer sitting across the way, she could just see her Dad through the window still sitting in front of the TV, the movie tapes she had picked up for him in a pile before him. He seemed totally absorbed in whatever scene was playing out on the TV, completely oblivious to the fact that his daughter sat nearby.

"If the shoe fits," Steve confirmed. 

"Our working theory is that he attacks with a spell or a curse." Dustin elaborated. "Now, whether or not he's doing the bidding of the Mind Flayer or just loves killing teens, we don't know." 

"All we know is this is something different," Max added. "Something new." 

Nancy shook her head at their conclusions. "Doesn't make sense."

"It's only a theory." 

"No, Fred and Chrissy don't make sense." Nancy elaborated.  "I mean, why them?"

"Maybe they were just in the wrong place." Dustin shrugged. "They were both at the game."

"And near the trailer park."

"We're at the trailer park." Steve reminded. "Uh, should we maybe not be here?"

"There is something about this place," Nancy added. "Fred started acting weird the second we got here."

"Acting weird as in....?" Maggie prompted with Nancy giving her a strange look. 

"Scared, on edge, upset." 

"Max said Chrissy was upset too," Dustin added. 

"Yeah, but not here. She was crying in the bathroom at school." Max replied, a shiver going down Maggie's spine at the very thought of those school bathrooms. 

"Serial killers stalk their prey before they strike, right?" Robin suggested. "So, maybe Fred and Chrissy saw this Vecman..."

"Vecna." Dustin interrupted. 

"Dunno about you, but if I saw some freaky wizard monster, I would mention it to someone." 

"Maybe they did. I saw Chrissy leaving Ms Kelley's office." Max revealed, looking around the group. "If you saw a monster, you...you wouldn't go to the police. They'd never believe you. But you might go to your..."

"Your shrink," Robin concluded. 

A plan was quickly concocted, the group heading to visit Ms Kelley, the school counsellor who Maggie knew fairly well, in the hopes of getting some answers about what Vecna's victims had in common. They were heading to Steve's car when suddenly Nancy turned to Maggie. 

"What are you doing here?" Nancy asked, more inquisitively than harshly. 

"I'm Maggie." Maggie returned, holding out her hand. 

"I know," Nancy replied. "I was just wondering how you got mixed up with this lot." She added gesturing to the group. 

"She helped us find Eddie." Dustin chimed in.

"To be honest I don't really know," Maggie added. "As Dustin said I helped them find Eddie and now I'm sort of here." 

"Well, welcome to the team." Nancy smiled sincerely before heading in the opposite direction towards her own car. 

"Whoa, whoa, Nance. Nance!" Steve called after her. "Where you going?"

"Oh, there's just something I wanna check on first." Nancy returned, pointing towards her car. 

"Something you wanna share with us?" Dustin asked. 

"I don't wanna waste your time. It's a real shot in the dark." 

"Yeah, okay. Are you out of your mind? Flying solo with this Vecna creep on the loose? No, it's too dangerous. You need... You need someone to..." Steve started as everyone watched him with varying degrees of confusion. "Here. I'll stick with Nance." He concluded, chucking his car keys to Robin. "Take the car, check out the shrink."

"I don't think you want me driving your car," Robin replied, pointing towards the car in question. 

"Why?"

"I don't have a license."

"Why don't you have a license?" Steve questioned. 

"I'm poor." Robin returned. 

"Maggie?" Steve asked, turning to the only other teenager. 

Maggie shrugged. "Same reason."

"I can drive." Max offered. 

"No, never again. Please. Anybody but you. No." Steve shouted at Max. Dustin gave him a look. "No chance."

"Come on." Dustin pleaded. 

"No."

"All right, okay. This is stupid." Robin offered, pulling a walkie talkie and flashlight from Dustin's bag. "Us ladies will stick together. Unless you think we need you to protect us." She mocked. "You wanna come, Maggie?" 

"I'm good, probably not going to be much help to you guys anyway." Maggie returned with a smile before heading back to the car. 

Robin smiled, turning back to Steve, making childish and mocking kisses in his direction. "There you go." She said smugly. 

"Be careful." Steve returned, rolling his eyes before he and Dustin moved back towards the car. 

"Wipe your feet." Steve reminded Dustin, who deliberately wiped his feet on the floor of the car. "On the outside, not the inside." He sighed dramatically. "Always the babysitter. Always the goddamn babysitter!"