As it hit morning, Max was still writing her letters, which she could of gotten done at night but Asher kept talking to her. So, while he let her finish what she was doing, Asher helped Dustin, Lucas and Steve look through old newspapers to figure out anything they could on how to stop Vecna.

"Okay, be honest" Steve says to the three as Asher is trying not to fall asleep "You guys understand any of this?"

"The words just look like a bunch of blurs to me right now" Asher explains as he tries to read the newspaper.

"Dude, you need to sleep" Dustin says to Asher with a sigh, feeling like a parent.

"Yeah, and I will sleep once we've figured this shit out" Asher says to Dustin, who just rolls his eyes.

"But it's pretty straightforward" Dustin says, looking back at Steve.

"Oh, straightforward, really?" Steve asks Dustin.

"Well, what's confusing you?" Dustin asks Steve "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."

"Yeah, that's assuming he was cursed" Asher points out "Which we don't even know 'cause we've never met the guy."

"How can Vecna have even existed in the fifties? It doesn't make sense" Steve asks.

"As far as we know, Eleven didn't create the Upside Down" Dustin starts to explain "She opened a gate to it. The Upside Down has probably been around for thousands of years. Millions. I wouldn't be surprised if it predated the dinosaurs."

"Dinosaurs? What are we--" Steve goes to say but gets cut off.

"Okay, okay" Lucas cuts off Steve "But if a gate didn't exist in the fifties, how did Vecna get through?"

"Oh, and how is he getting through now?" Asher also asks, being confused like he usually is.

"And why now?" Lucas also asks.

"And why then?" Steve also asks Dustin "Just pops out in the fifties, kills one family, and he's like, I'm good. And poof, he just disappears. Just... gone? Only to return thirty years later and start killing random teens? No, I don't buy it. Straightforward my ass. You know what, honestly, Henderson, a little humility now and then, it wouldn't hurt you."

"Sorry" Dustin mumbles out as he looks at the ground as Asher looks over at Max, just to check that she's okay "Any idea what she's writing?" Dustin asks Asher, who has now also started to look over at Max.

"She's writing letters, she's been up all night writing them" Asher whispers to Dustin, making Steve and Lucas also look over at Max.

"Has she even slept?" Dustin asks Asher.

"Been wide awake" Asher says before yawning "Would you sleep if you found out you were going to die the next day?" Asher asks before the basement door slams open, with Nancy and Robin running down the stairs.

"Okay, so... we have a plan" Nancy says to the four as Robin stands next to the girl, smiling from ear to ear as Nancy gives Steve and Asher one of the folders that she was carrying.

"Thanks to Nancy's newspaper minions, we are now rock-star psychology students at the University of Notre Dame" Robin explains to the group.

"I'm now Ruth" Nancy says with a small smile.

"And I'm Rose" Robin also says.

"Ruth?" Steve asks Nancy, who just smiles in reply.

"Nice GPA" Dustin compliments as he reads the folder over Asher's shoulder.

"Thanks" Nancy says to Dustin "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 adds onto the explanation.

"But we landed a three o'clock with the director" Nancy finishes explaining.

"Now all we have to do is charm him and convince him to let us talk to Victor" Robin says to the group.

"Then maybe we can rid Max of this curse" Nancy says, glancing over at Max.

"Sounds like a solid plan" Asher approves with a nod.

"Yeah, about that, we've been doing our Victor Creel homework, and uh, we got some questions" Steve tells Nancy with a sigh.

"Lots of questions" Lucas adds on.

"So do we" Nancy tells Lucas "Hopefully, Victor has the answers."

"Wait, wait, wait... wait a second" Steve says, catching everyone's attention "Where's mine?"

TIME SKIP BY BABYSITTER STEVE

After Steve had tried to convince Nancy to let him go with them, and failing miserably, him, Asher, Lucas and Dustin were sat in the basement, keeping an eye on Max. Asher still hadn't slept, not wanting to sleep until he knew that Max would be okay. Asher didn't know what would happen to Max or when it would happen, but he knew that if something did happen, he wanted to be there to help her when it did. All he knew was that he couldn't lose her. There was no way he was going to lose her. So, like Asher, Steve, Dustin and Lucas were sat, watching Max to make sure nothing happened to her.

"I know you guys are staring at me" Max mentions, not even looking back at the four, making all of them, but Asher, look anywhere else but at Max.

"What, sorry?" Steve asks.

"You said you needed something?" Lucas asks Max.

"Just hanging out" Dustin makes up an excuse.

"Yeah, obviously I am" Asher says, being the only one out of the four to tell the truth.

"How you think your eyes boring into the back of my head is protecting me from Vecna, I don't know" Max mentions to them as she gets up to walk over to them.

"Maybe we're scaring him off" Asher jokes with a shrug as the other three refused to look at Max.

"You can look at me now" Max says, making the other three boys like at her as well "For you" Max says as she hands Dustin a letter before moving onto Steve "For you" She says then moves onto Lucas "For you" She says before finally reaching Asher "And for you. Oh, and um, give these to Mike, El and Will. If you can ever get a hold of them again" Max mentions as they all go to open their letters, apart from Asher, who already knew that they were a fail safe "Hey, what are you doing? No, don't. That's not for now. Don't open it now."

"Don't... okay" Dustin mutters as he puts the letter back into the envelope "I'm sorry. What is this?"

"It's, um... it's a fail safe" Max mentions, looking down at her feet "For after. If things don't work out."

"Whoa, Max, things are going to work out" Lucas tries to reassure her.

"No!" Max shouts "No, I don't need you to reassure me and tell me it's all gonna work out, because people have been telling me that my entire life and it's almost never true. It's never true. I mean, of course this asshole curses me. Should've seen that one coming" She says before she walks over to her Walkman "If we go to East Hawkins, will this reach Pennhurst?"

"Of course, yeah" Dustin says to Max.

"Wait, why are we talking about going to East Hawkins?" Steve asks Max "No. No. No!" Steve yells right before Max grabs her bag, walking out of the house, making the four boys follow her "Max, Max, seriously" Steve says as he finally catches up to her outside "Seriously, I'm not joking. I'm not driving you anywhere."

"Steve, if you think I'm gonna spend what is likely the last day of my life in the armpit that is Mike Wheeler's basement, then you're out of your mind" Max tells Steve as she walks over to his car, with them all following her "So, either take me where I need to go or you're gonna have to tie me down, which is technically kidnapping of a minor. And if I live to see another day, Steve, I swear to God, I will prosecute" She says before trying to open the car door, but it is locked "Open the door."

"Uh, no" Steve says to Max as Lucas, Asher and Dustin finally catch up with them.

"I know a good lawyer. And, I also know someone who would happily kick your ass if I asked them to" Max tells Steve before glancing at Asher, making Steve scoff before unlocking the car as Max gets in.

"I hate my life" Steve mutters as Asher walks over to him.

"Come on, man, it could be her last day alive" Asher tries to explain to Steve "We should let her go where she wants to. We can still help her from East Hawkins as well as we can help her from Mike's basement" Asher says before getting in the car.

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