#chapter 22

You actually grow happy after your confusion passes, and come to a stop. Not realizing that Dustin is passing you by unaware of your sister's voice.

No one actually stops with you. They keep going unaware that you hear your sister and see her and your dad when you turn around.

“El!” You exclaim with a delighted smile growing on your features. “Dad!”

You wave and Eleven waves back with a convincing smile that fools you. That makes your feet move toward them without alerting the others because you thought that they would see what you see, but when they turn around at the sound of your announcement, they don’t see what you see.

They actually don’t see a thing. You’re running to nothing and as soon as they all realize that, Nancy is the first one to yell out your name to try and stop you before Steve echoes her.

And since you’re not in a trance, you hear them clearly and stop to look at them with confusion and slight annoyance before you part your lips to quip because it’s Eleven and your dad! They should be happy to see them, but then out of the sudden, something falls from the tree behind you with a loud and recognizable thud. Something that makes you and everyone freeze and look horrified. Something that raises all the hairs on the back of your neck, and something that makes you realize that you’ve been fooled.

It wasn’t Eleven and your dad. They’re not there.

It was that bastard…

It was a vision, you realize that seconds before you’re swept off your feet and yanked back by a cold and fleshy hand.

“Steve!” You bellow as you hit the ground and then desperately throw your hand out to try and reach him, but just as he cries out your name and breaks away from where he froze, you’re dragged away fast and hard.

“Steve!” You cry one more time before you act on instinct and dig your nails in the ground, hoping it would cause the Demogorgon trouble, but you only leave a trail behind with your fingers.

“Let go!” You seethe and try to twist around, but you can’t.

You would try to reach for your speargun or just a spear to stab it, but you don’t stop moving. It’s running too fast!

You can’t let it take you though. You don’t want it to take you, but what can you do?

Kicking it won’t work.

What can you do?

“Shoot it!” You hear Dustin bellow in the background. “Shoot it!”

But a bullet could hit you, you think to yourself, and want to yell it, but it’s far too late. Nancy shoots, hitting the tree by the Demogorgon’s head, and making it turn to swerve between them so it’d be harder to see and so you’d be harder to see too.

Albeit, as it tries to play smart, it also gives you the ability to throw your arm out and grip onto a tree trunk, bringing the Demogorgon to a sudden and surprising halt.

“Let go you fucking bastard!” You bark and start kicking it as it tries yanking you away. “Let me fucking go!” You roar and kick again whilst you muster all your strength in digging your fingers deep in the tree as it keeps pulling back, causing blood to start trickling from your fingers as the dead tree bark cuts your flesh.

“Let go,” you yell again and reel your leg forward to hit it again, but it reacts by raising its clawed hand and swinging, threatening to slash you or knock you out. Whichever it is, you whimper nonetheless as you keep focusing on trying to somehow get away.

Nevertheless, before its claws can hurt you, it suddenly freezes, making your breath catch, and making you look at it in horror seconds before you’re shocked and out of breath when you hit the ground as it lets go.

Now, you can’t muster a word, but you can flip around and watch it in horror as it stands there frozen before it suddenly lifts off the ground.

Is it Eleven? You think to yourself.

But, that’s quickly debunked when you don’t see her anywhere nearby.

It wouldn't be Vecna either because it’s not like he would stop his own monster when he sent it with the mission to take you to him.

What’s happening then? You ask yourself while you hear Steve and Jonathan yelling out your name before they reach you at the same time and pull you off the ground in a hurry.

“What’s it doing?” Dustin asks in horror and awe. “Is it El?”

You shake your head as you scan the area again. “No,” you say breathlessly before you slip from Jonathan’s hold and cling onto Steve as you see one of the Demogorgon’s arms snap in a way that shouldn’t fold regardless of what it is.

“What’s going on?!” Steve exclaims as he pulls you away from Demogorgon getting its limbs snapped in mid-air.

“I don’t know!” Jonathan shouts back as he backs away from the horrifying sight that musters a shriek before its head is snapped and it falls limp on the ground.

“What the fuck?!” Dustin shrieks and starts approaching it, but you slip from Steve to grab Dustin by the arm and pull him back.

“Don’t, what if it gets back up?!” You snap.

“It’s dead!” He counters as he pulls away from your hold and approaches the Demogorgon to nudge it with his foot. “See,” he adds with a deep breath. “Dead.”

“Do any of you guys have something you want to share?” You ask as you turn to look at everyone in confusion.

“Was it El?” Steve asks, but there’s no need for debate, she's not here.

“No, she has to be here to do that,” you say out loud and look at the Demogorgon again. “She’s not here,” you mumble.

“Whatever it was,” Nancy interjects. “It was our saving grace and our cue to keep going before more show up. We’re almost there.”

You drag in a deep breath and slowly exhale as you’re forced to collect yourself despite what just happened.

“Are you okay?” Steve asks as he grabs you by your arms, making you shift your gaze back to him and draw in another deep breath.

“Yeah,” you breathe out. “Just freaked out now.”

“You and me both. We can take a break though,” he offers. “I’ll tell Nancy, she’ll understand,” he offers, but she’s right. Besides, there’s no time to just sit back. Again.

“No, no, I’m okay. I can keep going on,” you reassure him and slip from his hold to follow after Nancy and Jonathan, offering Dustin a reassuring smile as you notice that he lingered back.

When he notices your gesture he follows behind you, letting Steve now take the rear to make sure the same thing doesn’t happen again.

And thankfully, it doesn’t, but that silence that accompanied you before grows more tense now as you all keep looking over your shoulders more than before so you wouldn’t be surprised again. In doing so, making you feel more like a damn burden because they had to go off course to try and save you again.

You were pursued and captured again! And all because…

What if it happens again? They’ll be forced to go after you. You could say no, but they’d risk their lives anyway. And it’s not like you can just give up. Well, you could, but you don’t want to. No matter how much you think about it as you put one foot in front of the other, and no matter how easy it might be for everyone else. And it’s not because of your ball of inconvenience, you just can’t muster the will to just give up. Be it fear or your own courage, you just can’t.

Thus, you keep going with your head high and eventually, reach the lab without another problem.

Although you remember how big the lab is when you reach it and dread searching it.

“Well, this looks promising,” Steve grumbles as you walk through the lobby decorated with dark vines and an eerie darkness.

“We’re in the lobby,” Dustin remarks.

“And…” Nancy interjects. “Where are we going exactly?”

You nod in agreement as you flash your light all over the room to make sure that nothing is lurking in some dark corner.

“Right,” Jonathan adds. “Like, what is it we’re looking for?”

“You’ve all seen Return of the Jedi?” Dustin asks the group and just as you’re going to ask how it’s relevant, Steve responds first.

“Yeah, that’s the one with the teddy bears, right?”

“Ewoks,” you correct him.

“Yeah, it’s the best one.”

You hum in agreement while Nancy and Jonathan voice their disagreement. “Is it?”

“No,” Dustin says. “But every child loves it, so tracks.”

“Hey,” you whisper, but get ignored. Of course.

This feud between Steve and Dustin is getting so old.

“Well, in the film if you recall,” Dustin continues to explain as you slowly keep moving and searching the lobby. “The rebels need to destroy a second Death Star, but it’s surrounded by a protective energy shield, which is created by a shield generator.”

“Yeah, cool,” Steve cuts in to try to make Dustin get to the point. “Thanks for the summary of a movie we’ve all seen.”

“It’s an oddly relevant movie, Steve,” Dustin snaps, but you’re with Steve here, it’s taking too long to get to the point, so you press the boy.

“Yes, but how so?”

Dustin scoffs before he responds. “Well, I think this circular flesh wall is Vecna’s version of an energy shield, except it’s not sci-fi. It’s supernatural, created by Vecna’s dark magic. And this dark magic shield is what’s preventing us from reaching him and saving Holly. But if my math is correct, the generator for the shield has to be in this lab.”

“Okay,” you whisper in comprehension while Jonathan speaks up.

“So if we find this dark magic shield generator—”

“We destroy the wall,” Dustin continues for Jonathan.

“Find Vecna, save Holly,” Nancy adds.

“Medals for all,” you quip softly.

“And it looks like what?” Steve asks the important question.

“How would you expect me to know that?” Dustin remarks sassily before he turns and walks away, making Jonathan and Nancy share awkward looks with Steve before you pat his arm as he speechlessly points out Dustin’s tone.

When you catch up to the group, Dustin opens a door that blends into the wall and leads you to a staircase that goes up and down many floors. Great.

“Couldn’t Vecna’s dark magic work some damn elevators?” You grumble.

“Well,” Steve says. “It is dark magic.”

“Ha.”

“Hm.”

“Anyway,” Dustin sighs. “Up or down?”

“I say both,” Nancy suggests. “Search in teams of two and three. Cover more ground.”

“Yeah, that’s cool with me,” Steve says. “But can we just switch the teams up? Nance, you come with us upstairs?”

Oh god, it’s gonna start again isn’t it? Another stupid argument.

“Oh,” Nancy stammers. “Uh, I mean—”

“Are you serious?” Jonathan interjects, making you roll your eyes.

“Me and Henderson here, we need some space,” Steve explains his decision.

“Please,” Dustin backs up the idea.

“Please,” Steve echoes.

“Fine. How about I go with you guys?” Jonathan offers himself instead and you start wishing Robin were here.

“I think we need some space too,” Steve argues. “So how about you guys do the babysitting, and me and my girl go up. Alone.”

“You know what?” You finally have enough of the bickering and push yourself between Steve and Jonathan. “We do not have time for this. How about we stick to our usual teams? Jonathan and Nancy stick together, and Dustin sticks with us—”

“No, babe, I cannot—”

“I can’t—”

“I said we stick to our usual teams,” you cut Dustin and Steve off as they speak up at the same time. “Now let’s move!”

“Please,” Nancy hisses and leads Jonathan upstairs, making you, Steve, and Dustin have no choice but to move down.

“Awesome. Just awesome,” Steve mutters, making you shoot him a pointed look as you let Dustin take the lead so you can walk in between both boys since apparently it’s so much trouble being together.

“Well, hopefully we’re able to find that generator,” you try to ease the very thick tension. “It’d suck to know what would happen if the Empire won.”

“It was just a reference to make it easier to understand,” Dustin mutters sassily.

“No, I know…” you trail off and sigh at your failure to bring some ease to the situation.

You knew it wouldn’t be that easy, but you wanted to hear him add something witty that would get the ball rolling. Alas, he keeps quiet and any other attempt to make conversation is shut down as fast as this one, so you just continue down the stairs in silence, cursing the fact that there isn’t any easier way down, and biting your tongue because there’s no way to talk about Dustin with him so close by, and well, it’s not like you can make mindless chatter with Steve because Dustin all you think about.

So, silence is your constant companion until you finally reach the damn basement.

“Okay, that was too many stairs,” Steve is the first one to break the silence, making you snicker and nudge him.

“Or you’ve had too many Boppers.” You snicker again and he just playfully hits your shoulder, making you hit him back.

He then tries to do it again, but you swerve him with a smirk.

“Treasures are always hidden in the deepest depths of the dungeon,” Dustin says, ignoring your playful shadows.

“What is it,” Steve focuses on Dustin now as you continue to follow him after you’ve won. “A treasure or a magic shield generator? Keep your metaphors straight, dude.”

You roll your eyes as you let out a deep and exhausted breath, losing your smile in the meantime.

“Analogy,” Dustin corrects him before he takes a turn towards two giant white doors that look like they could be hiding something behind them, but when the boys open the doors, the room looks like a weird daycare center instead.

There’s a painted rainbow on the floor, and colorful stripes running along the vine-infested wall.

“Okay,” Steve blows out. “Did not expect to find a daycare center in this hellhole. That’s a perk.”

“For who exactly?” You mutter as you get the creeps by the way that this room is furnished.

“Henderson,” Steve quips before he leaves your side to wander to some white table.

“Look,” he points out with a breathless and feigned chuckle. “You were right, Henderson. Treasure,” he says as he picks something up from the table and then turns to throw it at Dustin to catch.

“Okay, you know what?” Dustin retorts after he catches what Steve threw at him.

“What?” Steve asks.

“I think this is the perfect spot for you, considering your arrested development. So, while I search the rest of the basement, why don’t you stay here and play with your balls?”

You roll your eyes and consider pretending to be in pain so they’d come together and share the same worry, but you’re already in the Upside Down and dealing with a lot so you quickly abandon the idea. It’d be too mean.

“Perfect, yeah,” Steve quickly agrees as he catches the little marble that Dustin throws back at him. “Finally, a plan I can get behind.”

“I can imagine.”

“Yeah, good luck looking for your…treasure. I mean shield generator,” Steve throws at Dustin as he watches him walk out of the room. “I mean made-up bullshit.”

“Thank you!”

This is your chance to go talk to Dustin.

Nothing seems to be lurking around, threatening your existence, so this is the perfect chance to finally talk to him.

This is your moment, so you take it.

“I’m going to go search too,” you throw at Steve over your shoulder as you start moving out the door.

“Hey, hey, what did we talk about?!” Steve says exactly what you were expecting, but that’s why you’re already moving, so he wouldn’t actually stop you.

“I’ll be a shout away and I’ll be quick,” you try to assure him. “It’ll be faster to have two people searching the floor anyway.”

“Wait!”

“I’m already out the door!” You exclaim and quickly escape into another room to end the conversation there, expecting not to care about the small random room you barged into, but once again, you get the chills as you see how creepy the all-white room is with just a single twin bed.

Is this how poor Eleven lived? In this small room no bigger than a cardboard box?

You never gave where she came from too much thought. You recognized that it was a horrible place because they kept her in a lab all her life, but the small room and that pristine playroom look like torture and they’re just rooms! You don’t even want to think about what they did to her and her siblings since the moment they were born. Eleven’s painted quite a picture, but you don’t want to give it too much thought than you already have. You can’t, so you leave the room and continue with your task; trying to talk to Dustin.

Thankfully, he didn’t make it far in your short stop to the white shoe box of a room. You find him turning a corner to walk down another hall, so you break into a little jog to catch up with him. Albeit, you don’t fall directly at his side, you follow behind him and search for the generator absentmindedly.

He tries to lose you by quickly walking into different rooms, but you’re not so easily shaken off with your task in mind. You trudge behind him like his shadow until finally he’s had enough.

“What are you doing?” He finally addresses you.

“Helping you search. Two pairs of eyes are better than one,” you explain with a faint smile that he doesn’t see because he keeps his back to you even as he comes to a stop.

“Well,” he sighs. “I can search the floor myself, so you can run back to Steve. I’m sure he’s already missing you.”

“Well, he can wait a little longer.”

“Can he?” He quips, but you pay his comment no mind with how loud your mind is with all the different ways you think of starting the conversation.

If you say the wrong thing this would all blow over and he’d walk away, but you also don’t want to start too strong. You want to start slow, but how? You ask yourself as you wait for him to give you an opening with just a spare glance, a speechless call for help, but he keeps walking with his back turned to you.

He never gives you an opening and this floor doesn’t go on forever, so you just quiet all your thoughts and make your own opening. Besides, he had already met your gaze earlier before after not being able to look you in the eyes for so long, so you use that as an excuse too.

“You know, I get why you’re angry. Everything you're feeling, I felt it too. Differently perhaps, but I know what you’re going through.”

Dustin shakes his head as he slows down. “No,” he argues. “You don’t because your dad came back. It’s not the same.”

“Except it is because before he came back I still thought he was dead. I still grieved him, so yes.” You nod. “It is the same. I was angry. Just like you. I…stopped talking to the people I loved. I pushed them away because it hurt. Just like you.”

Dustin comes to a stop at the sound of your words, but doesn’t face you. You don’t push him either. You just get close

“I almost lost Steve because of it. I let my sister grieve alone. I…liked to say I was there for her, and yes, in some ways I was, but hardly. She was lonely and that was because of me, because I was…in so much pain, and I know that’s what you feel now. That crippling pain that makes you believe that no one understands, but that’s not true because I do. I understand,” your voice quivers.

Dustin lets out a shaky breath before he turns around with his head hanging low. “Tell me did you ever feel like everything would be better if you weren’t here? If-If none of us were here, so it’d hurt less?” He asks, expecting you to be horrified and turn away because even though he’s finally chosen to close that distance between you, he still can’t believe that he's not alone in his pain.

However, you surprise him by nodding slowly. “I did, so much.”

Dustin’s lip quivers and his shoulders shake as he’s on that brink, letting you finally close that gap by grabbing his shoulder.

“I don’t want to be angry,” his voice breaks as tears roll down his face. “Half of the time I don’t even know why I am. I just am.”

“I know,” you whisper.

“I don’t want to push people away either, but I can’t…I can’t lose anyone else. It’d hurt so much.”

“I know.”

“And I don’t want everyone dead. I don’t…I don’t want to die, but it’s so…”

“Suffocating,” you finish for him and he nods as he finally meets your eyes with tears streaming down his face.

“I know. I know,” you reassure him as you caress his shoulder before you slowly pull him in for an embrace. “You’re not alone.”

Dustin weeps as he clings onto you with all his might.

“I'm here. You’re not alone.”

You could follow up by trying to mend the rocky relationship with Steve. You could push him to be anything but hostile, but this isn’t about Steve. All you want is for Dustin to know that he’s not alone in his grief. You can try to mend that later.

“You,” he stammers. “You had so many close calls today.”

He pulls away to face you with more tears running down his face.

“I…I was so…” he trails off, but you don’t need him to finish, you know what he wants to say so you just reassure him.

“But I’m here. I’m right here.”

Dustin lets out a shaky breath and nods, so you cup his shoulders again.

“This pain won’t be forever. And your anger, it doesn’t have to be forever either. I wish I could say that I knew our outcome,” you say softly. “More than anything I wish that I could say that everything will be fine. I'm hopeful it will be. We all are, but we can’t guarantee that…do you understand?”

Dustin nods and lets out another shaky breath as he wipes away his tears. “It’s just…hard,” he stammers. “I know. I just want you to keep that in mind. Not to be pessimistic or anything.” You scoff. “Just to help you consider the way things are.”

“Okay,” he whispers.

“Okay,” you repeat and pat his shoulder before you stroke his cheek and then grab the top of his head to shake it gently as if you were ruffling up his hair since you can’t actually do that.

“I’ll be with Steve in that creepy room, I’ll meet you there, okay?” You let him know before you walk away to let him collect himself, reaching Steve fairly quickly considering you're on the same floor. And when you do find him, you catch him sitting on a shelf playing with a rubix cube.

“I’m back. Unscathed,” you make sure to point out as you waltz in content. Something Steve doesn’t miss.

“And happy?”

You lean against the shelf and nod joyfully. “Oh, yeah.”

“Cause you found something?”

You shake your head and just hint at what happened. “Just finally worked something out that’s been troubling me for some time. You should too, it's like a…weight off your chest. A weight that’s been troubling you for too long.”

Steve scoffs before he mutters. “Well, if he’d make it easier instead of being an ass I would have worked it out, but.” He scoffs. “He’s an ass.”

You roll your eyes and then turn to face him and fold your arms over his knees before you lean towards him.

“Look,” he cuts in before he thinks you were going to say something. “I’m glad you’re working things out. With Nancy and now Dustin, but you can’t fix this for me.”

“I wasn’t. It’s all up to you and him,” you tell him. “I said what I needed to say and that’s all I’m going to do.”

Steve looks up from the cube and looks at you with a questioning look since he knows you better, but you pat his knee and keep to your word mostly because you’re feeling hopeful after the talk with Dustin.

“Uh-huh,” Steve doesn’t believe you. “Says the one who was threatening to withhold sex if I didn’t talk to him.”

“About the car!” You remind him as you push yourself away from him. “I am not going to have an antenna sticking out of the car. Our car because if you remember, we are welcoming a child into this world and I will not have you carrying them in there with an antenna sticking out of it. So you will tell him to fix it…if we end up having a car. That is.”

Steve looks at you with a second of awe because he hasn’t heard you talking about the baby beyond your concern, but you then followed by reminding him about the predicament his car is in so he just scoffs in annoyance before he chuckles and quips.

“Will you withhold sex for a year if I don’t get the car out of here?”

You push your tongue against your cheek and nod slowly in annoyance. “Funny aren’t we?” You mutter and he just raises his eyebrows.

“Quite.” He smirks and then points his eyes at your face as he continues playing with his cube. “Hit a nerve didn’t I?”

You scoff and turn away with the intention of biting the inside of your cheek, but he blurts and surprises you.

“Oh, and there’s the cheek bite. And then the eye roll before the finishing touch, the shaking of the head,” he narrates everything you do so you can’t help but spin around with a growing smile, catching him smirking as he struggles to beat the rubix cube.

“I think I know a trick on how to beat that,” you say as you watch him.

“Okay, but don’t tell me I’ll figure it out.”

You hum in comprehension and watch him for a couple more minutes until finally he gets frustrated.

“Piece of shit,” he grumbles and throws the cube to the floor instead of letting you tell him your trick.

“I told you I could do it…” you trail off as you see an approaching light before the boy who it belongs to walks back in the room, making you feel hopeful.

“Really? You’re actually playing in here?” Dustin remarks with some hostility that he drops as you meet each other's gaze.

“I’m just following orders, dude,” Steve counters. “Judging by the pissy look on your face I assume you didn’t find the shield generator.”

You back away from the shelf and watch Dustin pick up the rubix cube off the floor as he responds with a change of tone. “It’s here somewhere.”

“But you didn’t find it,” Steve keeps making it hard by keeping his guard up against Dustin.

“Yeah,” Dustin scoffs. “Not on this floor.”

“So you were wrong?”

“Steve,” you try to warn, but whatever attempt Dustin was trying to make is slowly getting lost in between the anger and annoyance that is making a comeback.

“You would just love that, wouldn’t you?” Dustin remarks while Steve gets down from the shelf and just mindlessly looks around.

“No, I’m just stating a fact,” Steve says, dropping the attitude he had given Dustin before, but it seems like it’s too late because Dustin matches Steve’s initial attitude.

“No, you’re gloating,” Dustin snaps. “Despite the fact that if I am wrong, we don’t reach past the wall, we don’t save your girlfriend from ultimately being taken, and we don’t find Holly and the other kids.”

“He didn’t mean it that way,” you try to ease the situation, but all hope is lost.

“No, no, he did because he never understands,” Dustin fires back. “Don’t you get that? Don’t you get how selfish he’s being?”

You take a step toward him with desperation, but Steve doesn’t let you mend the situation. He snaps blinded by his frustration. “Me? Selfish? You wanna talk about selfish? How about the fact that when we finally reach Hop and El, we promptly ditch them to pursue this bullshit theory of yours?”

Pursue his theory? When his suggestion was to find a door?

Whatever, you part your lips to stop them from escalating the situation, but you can’t get a word in.

“Not to mention, you’re the reason that we lost contact with them in the first place because of your no-show at the crawl. So this whole mess is actually your fault. And I haven’t heard so much as a sorry.”

Well, that’s not fair…

“Shit. Again, it’s not like I just didn’t show up, Steve,” Dustin doesn’t let you speak. “I was attacked.”

“No,” Steve counters. “You wanted a fight, and that’s exactly what you got. Just look at your face, man.” Steve points out as he starts getting close to the boy.

“You’ve done some stupid shit in the past, but this? Man, this takes the cake.”

“You wanna talk about dumb shit?!” Dustin retaliates, not thinking past his anger. “How about fooling around with your girlfriend when things are supposed to be taken seriously?!”

What the hell?!

You look at the boy a little bit offended that he dragged you into this too.

“Oh!” Steve huffs. “Because I can’t just talk to my girl anymore? My best friend? Do you even remember what that’s like? Having friends?”

“Yeah.” Dustin nods. “I do. I remember what it was like to have a good friend, a real friend who actually believed in me, and who was actually kind to me.”

“Dustin,” you try to defend Steve, but you don’t exist to either man. No matter Dustin’s comment. They’re too consumed with their frustration towards each other that you don’t exist. Which is probably a good thing because at least they can air out everything that they haven’t told one another.

“Aha!”

“What?” Dustin questions Steve’s shouts.

“Aha!”

“What?

“There we go,” Steve says as he gets closer. “That’s what this has all been about, really, is Eddie. All your bullshit, pushing everyone away, it’s because no one could ever be as perfect as he was.”

“Well, he wasn’t perfect,” Dustin quickly rebuts. “But at least he knew that, unlike you.”

“Oh,” Steve blows out.

“He was never fake. He didn’t care what other people thought about him. He was just himself. And you know what? He was the smartest, kindest person I’ve ever met. And he would’ve solved this,” Dustin shows off the rubix cube in his hand. “In 30 seconds flat.”

“Well, if I’m such a goddamn idiot, how come I’m the one still standing here?” Steve takes it past a point that can no longer be interfered with. Or defended, so you step back into the shadows with your heart growing heavier than it already was because what can you do really?

Nothing.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Dustin demands to know with hurt.

“That night,” Steve doesn’t back down. “I told you not to be heroes. I told both of you. What did Eddie do? He charged into a swarm of killer bats.”

“To save my life,” Dustin snaps with tears

“He saved no one.”

“He saved everyone!” Dustin barks.

“You can keep telling yourself that, Henderson, but deep down, the reason you’re so goddamn pissed is because you know the truth. Eddie wanted to play hero, and he made a dumb call, and he got himself killed.”

You drop your head as his mean and honest words sting, but before you know it, Dustin is crying out. “Shut up!”

You quickly snap your head up and see Dustin throwing the Rubik's Cube at Steve’s face before he charges towards him and manages to tackle him to the shelf.

“Dustin!” You try to get him to listen to reason in sudden panic, but he starts hitting Steve’s side with his flashlight.

“No! What the hell, man?” You hear Steve exclaim as he pushes him away, making Dustin fall to the floor and drop his things, while you no longer think of a way of trying to get in between them because Steve is not fighting back. He’s trying to get him to stop.

“What are you doing, man?” Steve asks in the same confusion as you. “Stop it. Stop it,” he tries to calm the situation, but as he approaches Dustin, the boy hits him with something hard yet something you can’t see because even if you’re close, it’s happening too fast. All you know is that he keeps hitting him.

“Dustin! Stop! Leave him alone!” You keep trying to diffuse the situation with words while you see how Steve tries to physically stop him by pushing him away again. And again when he’s on the floor.

“Henderson! Hey, Henderson!” Steve shouts, but said boy starts throwing stuff, making you back away.

“Calm down! Calm—Henderson, Henderson!”

“Dustin!”

But it’s no use, he tackles Steve again and shoves him against the wall, making Steve wrap his arms around him to continue trying to stop him.

“Jesus! You’re gonna hurt yourself, man!” Steve cries and tries to push him away again, but Dustin clings onto him and in the effort they both roll to the side and then fall through a window on the wall.

You quickly run over, but go through the open door at the end of the wall, catching both boys getting up.

“All right, Dustin,” You try to bring this to an end as you approach him to try and take him away with you so he can cool down, but when he feels your hand, he swings his elbow back, hitting you in the face before he pushes you back.

“Hey!” Steve calls out without putting up a fight regardless of what he saw, but Dustin is adamant and punches Steve across the jaw, making you quickly collect yourself without any thought and look at the scene in horror.

“Dustin!” You yell, but he pushes Steve back against the wall.

This time before he can go in for more, Steve manages to capture him and press him against his chest with a headlock so he can stop, but Dustin keeps squirming so he makes Steve swing to the other side as you both keep yelling at him.

“Dustin, stop! Enough!”

“Enough! Enough!”

Yet, Dustin uses the wall across from him to shove Steve back against the wall, in which they both end up falling breathlessly to the floor.

“Steve,” you call out quietly and try to go to him as he pushes himself up to his feet with a groan, but he puts his hand up to stop you since Dustin isn’t getting up to continue with his attack.

“You know what, man?” Steve directs at Dustin with his voice quivering. “I’m done.” He sniffles and walks away, making you watch him leave with your heart aching before you don’t think twice of going after him.

Albeit, when you reach the door you stop and look back at Dustin who’s sitting up with tears streaming down his face, and throw your hand out with a sympathetic look to assure him that it’s okay, that you aren’t mad. You understand what happened, but you can’t stay. You have to be a partner to Steve just like you were just a friend to Dustin moments ago.

“I’m done!” Steve says again with his voice still thick with tears.

“Steve!” You call after your boyfriend as you go after him, hearing Dustin trying to get his last word in even if his voice breaks.

“All right, yeah, just run away, Steve! You dumb…fake asshole!”

“Steve!” You call out again when you make it out of the room and start going after him down the hall. “Wait!”

“No,” he immediately snaps back. “You can’t say anything to try and fix this.”

“I know,” you surprise him by saying, so he slows down. He doesn’t stop, he slows down before he rebuts as if he doesn’t believe you’re trying to take his side.

“I tried.”

“I know! Steve,” you plead, making him finally come to a stop so you can reach him.

“I,” he stammers with his voice quivering and his head hanging. “I tried. I didn’t fight back. I wouldn’t.”

“I know, baby,” you coo and cradle his face, seeing the tears break out of his eyes at the feeling of your touch. “I hear you,” you whisper and hold his glistening gaze wet with tears. “I know,” you say one more time before you slide your hands down to wrap your arms around him and pull him in for an embrace that he returns before he lets himself break down. Just a little bit. While you hold him.

“I,” he croaks.

“I know,” you reassure him and hug him tighter, letting him find more comfort in your embrace by burying his face in the crook of your neck. “I’m here,” you whisper one more time before you let the silence also embrace you.

You would bring up how mean it was to talk about Eddie that way to Dustin, but you don’t. You don’t remark on anything he said to provoke Dustin. You forget it to not choose sides and to be here for him because that’s what he needs even if he doesn’t say it.

You’re his comfort just like he’s been yours so many times before.

Thus, you only let him go when he chooses to, which is when his eyes are no longer filled with tears and he’s wiped any trace of them off his face.

“Are you hurt?” He asks as he grabs you by your chin to tilt your head towards the light, reminding you at that moment that you had been hit too. You forgot in your attempts to comfort Steve and stop Dustin.

“Nothing bad. Just a bruise,” you assume considering you’re not in any pain.

“Okay,” he whispers as he studies your cheek for a moment longer before he lets go. “Come on,” he urges and points his light at the door at the end of the hall. “We should go to another floor to look for this shield generator.”

“Okay,” you agree without protest and follow him back to the staircase to go up in silence because you’re true to your word. You don’t bring up what happened.

Eventually, though, you bring up someone else. “Steve, I know this might be hard to digest, but I do hope you can at least be amiable with Jonathan.”

Steve groans, so you quicken your step to walk by him.

“Look, I get it, okay? And I’m not saying you need to be best friends, but his mom is with my dad. And I don’t see them being some fling, which means that he will be a part of my family. And you are a part of my family too, so I just want you to at least try for your sake and mine.”

Steve sniffles and doesn’t say anything. He just sucks in his cheek and nods stiffly, offering you no reassurance whatsoever.

Whatever…

You won’t let it go, but that’s all you’ll say for now.

Anyway, a while passes where you just walk up the stairs in silence before he brings up something himself. “I thought we compromised to stay together.”

You scoff and shake your head. “I just searched the same floor,” you mutter.

“I know, but that’s not the point. Something could have happened—”

“But it didn’t,” you cut him off as you glance at him, seeing his irritation. “Besides, I was with Dustin the entire time. I was okay. I am okay.”

“You got lucky.”

“No, I didn’t and you and I both know you don’t really mean that. Look, I know the compromise we made, but I was also not going to sit around when he needed me, and I won’t when someone else needs me, okay? So please trust me. You said you would and I need you to hold onto that.”

Steve sighs deeply and doesn’t bring up anything else because clearly that’s not what’s really bothering him. It annoyed him, you knew it did, but that isn’t the problem.

However, you don't pick at the problem either. You know your place so you stay in it and welcome the silence’s company while you search and find nothing. No generator or any sign of it. There’s just more vines and perfectly copied furniture.

You would say something that would make him smile. Start a mindless conversation, but every time you glance at him it never looks like the time to try any of it, so you keep quiet because you know that sometimes that’s all you need.

Albeit after a while, as you feel your heart grow heavy as you think back to the fight, you start to question if any of this is real.

What if the second time that the Demogorgon tried taking you away actually succeeded? Vecna clearly got in your head to trick you by making you believe El and your dad had caught up, so what if the fight, what if this moment of silence is also another trick?

He clearly wants to torment you. You also haven’t slept, so what if he’s making you believe that all you’ve lived since the second attack was real, but it isn’t?

“Steve,” you break the silence, making him hum.

“Can you,” you pause and hesitate as you think if this is just a figment of your imagination too. How can you even properly tell? It’s not like you’ll have extra fingers like in dreams so this might as well be a trick too since you can’t hide anything from Vecna.

But you have to know.

“Can you tell me this is real? It’s just,” you swallow thickly. “When we were making our way here, before the Demo attacked me, I saw them so clearly. I heard her so clearly that I didn’t question anything. So,” you breathe out. “Is this real? The attack…your fight with Dustin. Is it all real?”

You look at him and he keeps looking at your way ahead, letting you see a flicker of what you perceive as annoyance over the question. He’s finally had enough of you asking him.

However, when he glances at you, you see it before you hear it, the somber look in his eyes as he wishes that it hadn’t been real, but the fight did happen. “Yes,” he assures you. “It’s all real.”

You nod gently and look ahead, feeling in parts disappointed that their relationship had taken such a hit especially after you had talked to Dustin, but those words are also a great solace to your own deliberating mind as scared as you still are that it all might be fake.

“Okay,” you whisper. “Thanks—”

“But this is why I need you to stay close by,” he lets out his frustration. “Because of what happened. I-I’m not trying to sound possessive or like I don’t trust you, but I just need to be sure that you’ll be okay and I can’t if you’re in a different room.”

You gulp and feel your heart sink with guilt. “I’m sorry,” you offer him before you lift your hand from your side and reach for his to connect them together.

“I just need this to be over,” he says out loud in a moment of vulnerability. “All of it. I’m getting tired of every big moment being tied to this. It’s getting…annoying having to fight so hard for our lives. It would be nice not having to look over my shoulder, and worry about little stuff like a normal person.”

He passes you a tired look and for a moment there’s a second regret as he doesn’t see you mirror his feelings, but then you let out a deep breath that lets your mask fall and shows the same exhaustion.

“I get it. At times I lie awake at night watching the ceiling or you sleep,” you giggle and see him smile faintly before he matches your frown. “Because I don’t want to be tormented by Vecna or because I’ve had such a good day that I don’t want it to end because I don’t know if tomorrow will be my last, or if something horrible will happen…I always thought my biggest worry would be not knowing what to do after high school, but now I’m graduated and I’m worried that I won’t make it another week, or that one crawl would be Dad's last, or that my sister will be caught by the government.”

He responds with a silence that says more than anything he could’ve said because it’s a silence of understanding.

“And you know what’s funny?” He asks with a feigned laugh. “That week before it was confirmed that you were pregnant, when we just thought you were, was the most normal week in since forever. I was scared yet quite excited, and then I knew and I was scared because we knew Vecna wanted her.” He scoffs and you avert your gaze because you never thought of it that way. It’s always been an inconvenience because of Vecna…

It’s still nice hearing him say that he felt a moment of normal.

“Well, hopefully this will be over soon, so we can finally have that life. We deserve it after all we’ve done and all we’ll do…because as much as leaving is tempting, who else but us, right?” You ask somberly. “I mean look at what the government is doing?”

“Right,” Steve whispers with understanding yet a hint of sadness because he knows you’re right.

Soon though, you hope these concerns will be a thing of the past. A faint and painful memory.

As of now they’re real and impossible to ignore.

“Can I ask you something?” Steve asks in a more lighthearted tone.

“Of course.”

Steve smiles at the ground, shifting the somber mood to eagerness as you want to know what he's hiding behind his smile.

“If none of this Upside Down shit had happened do you think we would've still gotten together? I like to think that we would've, but I don't know.” He shrugs. “What do you think? Is it too much hopeful thinking?”

You giggle and grow flustered, catching Steve’s attention and making him grow doubtful and hurt at his assumption. “What? Would you be too good for me?”

You briefly meet his eyes but then when you're under his gaze you grow hot, so you quickly look away and pull to the side.

“What?” He insists impatiently.

“Well,” you giggle. “I actually had a crush on you.”

“Oooh,” he gets cocky.

“I found you quite charming when I first saw you,” you confess and glance at him with your face hot and your heart racing as if you aren’t currently dating. “You were hot, but you were with Nancy and only had eyes for her. So you tell me if we would have?”

“I just said yes…I mean I can't imagine my life without you,” he finishes softly, making you pull back towards him and look at him lovingly before you kiss his shoulder and hook your arm around his to continue up the stairs with a pep in your step and a satisfied smile decorating your lips.

As for how long that lasts? Not long, soon thereafter you hear the faint echoes of running footsteps ascending the stairs.

There’s a second of fear where you and Steve think it’s some demogorgon or something else just as dangerous, but that fear then turns to concern when you hear Dustin crying out for Nancy and Jonathan over and over again, getting louder and louder as he gets closer.

Eventually, when he reaches where you and Steve are, you think he’s going to stop and explain his panic, but he just pushes Steve aside, and in turn, Steve accidentally pushes you.

“What the hell?!” You snap as Steve quickly helps you find your footing.

“What are you doing?” Steve throws out next as you proceed to copy Dustin’s speed.

“Listen to me!” Dustin yells. “Don’t touch anything!”

“Dustin!” You and Steve both yell for his attention so he can explain himself, but it doesn’t seem like he hears you. He’s too lost in his panic.

“Jonathan! Answer me! Nancy!”

“Dustin!” Steve yells right after, but still no answer, instead you get an idea as to what had Dustin so worked up before a loud explosion shakes the building, knocking you and the others off your feet, and making you hit the wall behind you before you fall on the floor. Not hard, or at least it didn’t feel that way, but instead of being dazed, you fall into darkness.

There’s nothing for a second before an unusual soft light kisses your face and greets you as your eyes flutter open.

But how? There’s no light in the Upside Down. Not unless you count the light of the red lightning strikes, or the manufactured light of the flashlights. But neither are soft or as sweet as the light that blinds you for a second before you have the thought of shielding your eyes with your hand.

The question as to how you’re being bathed by such a natural light is still at the front of your mind, but for a moment. Just for a moment, you let yourself indulge in the light's kindness and welcome it at your own speed by slowly pulling your hand away from your eyes. Being ultimately breath taken as the soft sunlight brings your attention to your sister, Eleven as the sun rays completely envelope her sleeping figure.

She’s sleeping so soundly on the full-sized bed that she was given after you moved out. There’s no doubt about it, she’s as clear as day, so you let yourself live in the moment. As manufactured as it is. You live in it because she’s sleeping beside you with no worry in the world, just how it’s supposed to be.

That’s not all though, because when you look around and recognize her room in the cabin, you see a little bundle in between you and your sister, sleeping just as peacefully as she is while she holds Eleven's pinky as her hand rests on the baby's little chest.

They’re both breathing and safe, carrying no fear or worry between their brows. It’s as it should be. Normal and serene. Sweet…

It’s a sweet moment. A moment…you never thought of. A moment you start to yearn for. A possibility…

One that makes you wonder if life can be as sweet and simple as this one? Or the one that plays next like a movie in a theater that you alone suddenly find yourself sitting in, watching you and Steve sleeping at the beach before a wave rolls over you and gives you a rude yet funny awakening. Tempting you to turn it into an actual memory instead of letting it live as another sweet possibility.

Just like the one that plays after that of you helping Steve fix a porch swing before it’s suddenly fixed and you’re sitting together watching the sun go down with someone small and so much like him sleeping on your laps.

It’s a display of a good life, something you crave for.

But…that’s all it is, a display of a possibility orchestrated by someone cruel.

“You must think I’m some kind of fool!” You break the illusion with your cry. “I am not! I am not!”

“No,” his recognizable voice booms before the theater fades into a dark abyss and you fall on a cold ground on your feet.

“But you are a curse. A burden.”

You scowl at nothing, so in your silence, he continues. “And they will all die trying to help you,” he claims. “Your sister,” he says and displays her lifeless body on the ground by your feet, making you gasp even though you know it’s all a cruel mind trick.

“Your boyfriend,” he adds and puts his lifeless body at your other side before he also adds your father across from you, and then everyone else you love, turning the ground into a graveyard, and making you fall to your knees with angry tears welling in your eyes.

“Everyone you love,” he proclaims before his voice sounds softer, like Mr whatsit. “But you don’t have to be their demise. I will offer you this choice. Come with me and make that possibility a reality. I can give it to you.”

You shift around towards Eleven’s lifeless body and gently cradle her young face as you consider his offer for a moment.

She deserves a happy life more than anything, and if you don’t give up you run the risk of putting her in danger all because she would take the task of also protecting you.

But…you also think of that possibility he showed you of her, you, and your sleeping baby, and you want nothing more but to live that possibility and the only way to have it is to keep fighting…

You don't need him to make that possibility a reality. You can do it yourself. Which is why you can’t give up no matter how tempting his offer sounds.

You can’t.

No.

“No!” You reject him confidently so there’s no chance of trying to persuade you further. “No! No! Get out of my head!” You cry and cover your ears and close your eyes, welcoming the darkness.

“Fine,” he grimaces. “Have it your way, but know I will not tire. That child will be mine,” he seethes and it’s the last thing you hear before you jolt awake back in the staircase at the lab with Steve in front of you, smiling with relief as he sees you opening your eyes.

“Oh, god, you scared me!” He remarks with a deep breath.

You pat his hand that holds your face and sigh before you quip. “I’ve hit my head one too many times so if I start seeing my mother just know something's wrong with me.”

“Well, you tell me if that happens,” he says as more of a warning than anything else because he’s not taking it as lightly as you are.

“Come on, let's get you up,” he says under his breath and drops his hand from your face to grab your hand and pull you to your feet.

“Are you okay?” You ask him as you study his face and he gently touches the back of your head with the pad of his fingers to check for any blood. When he doesn’t find any he nods faintly, choosing to put the focus on Dustin sitting on top of the stairs.

“Dustin!” You cry and slip away from Steve to run up the stairs and reach him, noticing that his eyes are open, he’s just staring off into the distance looking troubled, and making you grow more concerned

“What is it?” You immediately press him as you search for any indication of him being hurt. “Are you hurt? Does something hurt?”

As Steve reaches your side, Dustin chooses to respond. “I was wrong. I was terribly, catastrophically wrong.”

Your eyebrows knot and you probe without letting him finish, thinking that he’s talking about an injury. “About what?”

“Yeah, what are you on about?” Steve piles on.

“After you guys left, I found a journal,” Dustin explains, making you soothe yourself since apparently he doesn’t have the kindness to just throw out something to brush off your concern.

“Brenner’s journal,” he continues and you’re lost for a moment before you remember that he’s talking about the scientist Eleven calls ‘papa’. “The key to destroying that wall is in this lab, but it is not a shield generator. It isn’t dark magic, Vecna didn’t make it. Science did.”

Your eyebrows stay knotted together as you hear his big revelation, proving that the little you know about the Upside Down has been wrong.

“Theoretical physicists call it exotic matter,” Dustin continues to blow you away. “A single source of energy that is holding that giant wall together, and I think Nancy just shot it.”

Well, that’s no surprise. She’s trigger-happy.

“How is any of that bad? That’s why we’re here, to get through this wall,” Steve questions as he takes a little longer to grasp the severity of the matter. Albeit a lot of what Dustin says you don’t understand, but given the explosion and what you’ve gathered from what’s happened, and the little you understand, you’ve made a mistake. Or Nancy has.

“You’re not listening to me!” Dustin blurts with frustration.

“I am listening!”

“Well, Vecna didn’t make the wall,” Dustin says what you’re starting to understand. “So he isn’t on the other side, which means Holly and the missing kids aren’t either. Nobody is.”

“That’s why when the Demo took me from the car we didn’t quickly reach where it was taking me,” you speak up quietly as you share your revelation. “We had crashed into it. It would’ve been an easy trip, but it was taking me through the woods.”

“Exactly,” Dustin agrees with a deep breath.

“Then what the hell is on the other side of that wall?” Steve wants to know, but the boy with all the answers stays quiet, making your heart stop beating as you see the complexity of the answer in his troubled eyes.

“Dustin,” Steve presses. “What’s on the other side of that wall?”

“Death,” he finally deadpans, making you and Steve share a heavy worried look before you sit back against the railing.

“This whole time,” Dustin continues as if he still can’t believe what he’s saying. “Everything we have ever assumed about the Upside Down has been…dead wrong. This place, the Upside Down, it isn’t another dimension. It’s not another world. It’s a wormhole. A bridge between two points in time and space between our world and another.”

You blink with disbelief.

“And if the bridge collapses?” Steve queries.

“It will take us with it. All of us.”

You let out a deep breath and lean forward before you rub your face and start wondering one thing. “Then wouldn’t we be sucked into oblivion?” You ask your question outloud. “If space is surrounding the bridge then why isn’t anything happening? It’d happen instantaneously.”

Dustin nods speechlessly and then pushes himself away from the wall to pull off his backpack and pull out a journal he starts to flip through without answering your question.

“Hello?!” You wave at him for his attention.

“So what? Earthquakes? Heavy winds?” Steve lists his assumptions, making you look over at him morbidly and shake your head before you share what you know.

“Nothing. We'd feel nothing. Theoretically, when a wormhole collapses they do so faster than light, so…we should be dead.”

He blinks slowly and in disbelief before he runs his fingers through his hair and gets up. “Well, that’s great!”

“I mean compared to other deaths, yes. It’d be painless and over before you know what’s happening. Unless they’re wrong and it happens painfully slowly,” you muse, finding pride in what you know about space.

“Way to sound happy about it,” he quips and you sit back and shrug.

“Well, I’m starting to get an idea of what’s happening thanks to my previous knowledge of space. And it’s all pretty cool actually. If you take away the fact that we’re caught in the middle of it.”

Steve nods as he starts pacing impatiently.

“Which is why we need to know if you have a clue in there about how long it takes a wormhole to collapse?” Steve disturbs Dustin. “Ten minutes, maybe 20?”

“Well, like she said it should have been instantaneous. Clearly not,” he mutters and flips a page.

“Why do you sound disappointed we’re still alive?” Steve points out.

“I’m not disappointed—”

“Well, you sound disappointed,” Steve cuts him off, making Dustin interject.

“I’m confused.”

“Ah.”

“As far as I see it, there are two distinct possibilities here. Either this is the afterlife, and we’re all spirits. Which seems likely.”

“Ooh,” Steve makes commentary.

“Or—”

“Or Nancy didn’t completely destroy the exotic matter,” you assume what Dustin is going to say. “The walls would have collapsed if she did, and again, we would’ve been sucked into oblivion and ceased to exist.”

“Okay, so what are we waiting around here for?” Steve breathes out as he crouches to snatch Dustin’s walkie from the floor before he strides off.

“An explanation presumably,” you throw out as you get up and without question, start following Steve up the stairs.

“What are you guys doing?” Dustin immediately questions.

“To see if I can get a damn signal to find Nancy,” Steve states the obvious, sending Dustin off his feet.

“Guys, wait!”

“Let’s go, Henderson,” Steve ushers him without stopping.

“Wait!”

“Let’s go. Let’s go,” you add to the pressure as you follow Steve past a door that leads to another dark and lonely floor.

“We don’t know if it’s safe up there,” Dustin finally shares his hesitation.

“You guys said the exotic matter wasn’t destroyed,” Steve uses that against him.

“No, she said that it wasn’t completely destroyed and I agree,” Dustin throws out while you follow Steve down different halls. “But it is very clearly disturbed. We have no idea what effect this will have on matter, space-time, gravity. This whole building could very well be a highly unstable, physics-defying death trap.”

“Well, it seems pretty stable at the moment,” you try to assure him as you follow Steve out into a courtyard.

“Nancy, you copy?” Steve speaks to the walkie as you all walk to the middle of the courtyard hoping you’ll find a good signal. “Jonathan, are you there?”

You wait around Steve for a response, noticing a harsher light coming from above before you hear something strange coming from above.

“Hello?!” Steve exclaims whilst you drift your attention upward and gasp when you see a bright, furious red ball of exotic matter floating above your heads

“Mother of god,” Dustin muses as you’re left speechless and fascinated yet completely terrified.

“Please tell me they’re not up there,” Steve says and you hope they aren’t, but given what happened you would bet that they are. He should ask if they’re okay instead, or if they’re the victims of the exotic matter being disturbed.

You hope that they aren’t. They just can’t hear their walkie. That’s all…

But you can’t know. Not from here.

“Jonathan,” you whisper your concern before you start walking backward without being able to take your eyes off the glowing red matter.

If only you could scale the walls to reach the top faster, but it’s impossible and as your eyes trail up, the more you notice the melting walls the closer they get to the glowing red ball.

“Jonathan!” You cry out and spin around to take the initiative and bolt.

“Wait!” You hear Steve yell before you hear him running after you.

“Wait!” Dustin echoes, but for a different reason. Instead of trying to catch up, he’s trying to stop you from going any further, but it’s a waste of a breath because with Steve’s encouragement and support, you only run faster up the stairs with the hopes that you’ll find Jonathan and Nancy still alive.

And considering that there was no tear that led to a void, and that the lab is still standing and not in any kind of danger, there’s no thought in your mind of stopping or even considering it. Even if the higher you get, the more goo you see running down the walls and puddling on the steps you take. You just run with the thought of reaching Jonathan and Nancy.

“Guys, if you can hear us, we’re coming,” Steve keeps trying to reach the couple. “I repeat, we’re coming!”

“Guys, slow down!” Dustin keeps insisting. “The higher we go, the more dangerous it gets!”

“It must be the exotic matter messing with the signal,” you say hopefully.

“Or Dustin’s broken walkie,” Steve remarks. “All the more reason to speed up.”

You hum and feed off your determination and fear to speed up, ignoring the puddle of goo that makes you work harder.

“We’re no use to them if we’re dead,” Dustin snaps. “Guys!” You hear Dustin yell before the steps beneath you suddenly sink before they collapse, threatening to bring you down with them if it wasn’t for a force pulling you back to stable ground as you yelp.

Nevertheless, you don’t see who your savior is just yet. Your attention is caught by the big melted hole where you once stood and then, your attention trails up to the hole above your heads that lets you see the flights of stairs you still needed to take and the ceiling way above that’s dripping more goo.

“As I was saying…” Dustin trails off.

You exhale shakily and choose to let what happened settle for a second, so you take the time to peer over and realize that it was Dustin who was fast enough to save not only you but Steve too.

“Thanks, buddy.” You pat Dustin’s shoulder and let out another deep breath, feeling settled enough to point out the door that leads to another floor.

“Maybe we can use something to put over the gap. And climb over it instead…each time.”

Steve snaps his fingers. “Great thinking,” he praises before he leads the way out the door.

“Wait! Guys! Did you not just see what happened?!” You hear Dustin yell after you as you march down the hall in search of something tall and stable enough to use.

“A table maybe?” You give Steve an idea. “We can lift it between the two of us.”

“Sure, but first…” he trails off and backpedals before he points his flashlight at a wooden door. “Let’s check here,” he finishes and opens the door to a helpful utility closet.

“Oh, thank you,” Steve mumbles to himself as he hands you his flashlight before he walks in and picks up a ladder, causing you to back away from the door to let him walk out and lead the way back to the staircase with the helpful object in hand.

“Steve, what the hell are you doing?” Dustin retorts. “That’s not gonna work. Stop! Stop” He protests as he watches him climb up the stairs to set the ladder down over the melting gap.

“Steve!” Dustin keeps shouting before he follows by shouting your name as you help Steve fix the ladder over the gap to make sure it’s stable enough.

Albeit, you do notice the ladder trembling as you’re fixing it so you start to doubt.

“Maybe we should find something else,” you express your doubt. “It’s wobbly.”

“Do you trust me?” He says over your shoulder, making you loll your head to the side and shoot him a pointed look.

“Oh, you don’t get to use that against me,” you snap.

“Just hold it! And I’ll hold it for you and Dustin!”

“I’m serious!” Dustin interjects between your argument. “It’s not safe! Guys!”

“Steve, stop it’s not stable,” you now team up with Dustin, but Steve argues back.

“Do you want to save your precious brother or not?”

“Oh,” you groan and press your hands on the ladder to firmly grab it. “You’re impossible.”

“Yep, but you’re still doing it. Now hold it still,” he says before he puts his hands on the ladder and then raises his foot to start climbing.

However, before he can even get far, Dustin bellows. “No, don’t!” He then lunges forward to grab Steve by his jacket and yank him away from the ladder. “Stop being an asshole!” He cries, leaving you bewildered.

“I’m not being an asshole!” Steve deflects. “I’m trying to get to them!”

“You’re always trying to get yourself killed,” Dustin’s voice breaks, making you close your mouth just as you were going to try and stop them from arguing.

“And I can’t let it happen again. Stop being so selfish, please,” Dustin begs with tears streaming down his face. “If you go on there, you’re gonna die, and I can’t deal with it again. You can’t die ‘cause I can’t deal with it again. Don’t let it happen again,” he weeps, making your heart break yet making you smile ever so softly as that tension is at last broken.

“Please. Please don’t let it happen again,” he pleads before he goes in for an embrace that Steve welcomes.

“Not you. I’m sorry.”

“No, no, no,” Steve assures Dustin as he holds onto him before the ladder that you had placed over the gap, then falls through the hole as more of the stairs melt.

Even so, Steve keeps holding onto Dustin, making that concern feel like next to nothing as your heart swoons and tears cloud your eyes at the sweet moment being had in front of you that you hope won't end, but…

After a couple of minutes of basking in that silence that mends what was broken, Dustin and Steve pull away, bringing focus back on the gap.

“Well,” Steve sighs. “Looks like we can’t go this way.”

You hum in agreement and look around for an answer until you focus on the door as you think of something. “There should always be more than one fire escape in a building this big right? One on either side?”

“Unless, it’s also melted,” Dustin points out.

“Well, here’s hoping it’s not. Shall we?” You point to the door. “Or should I give you guys a moment?”

Steve rolls his eyes. “You would like that wouldn’t you?”

You smile at him. “I would as long as it meant no more fighting.”

“Well,” Steve raises his hands. “I’m all good on my side.”

Dustin draws out a deep breath and nods gently. “Yeah, I’m all good. Just please could you both stop getting into danger? I…I mean it.”

You and Steve share a faint smile before you pat Dustin’s shoulder and reassure him…as best as you can. “We will try. Are you sure you’re okay?”

He nods and smiles at the floor before he passes you a knowing look which you can’t decipher, so you just let him go without sharing that knowledge.

“Okay, let’s go, let’s go,” Steve rushes you, making you leave the room and trudge through the hall that holds puddles of goo and leaks more from the walls, threatening to collapse the floor you’re on and make Nancy and Jonathan inaccessible from the inside because there should still be a fire escape on the outside of the building that leads to the roof, right?

And if that doesn’t work, you’ll…well you’ll cross that bridge when you get there.

Luckily though, you’re able to make it to the other firescape and see that the stairs are intact enough to walk on. Albeit, you’re not as quick as before out of fear you’ll sink. You take one step at a time as you keep your eyes peeled.

Sometimes one of you would try to lighten the mood, but it wouldn’t last and most of the time it wouldn’t work. You’re too focused on not falling to your deaths to let that lightheartedness last.

However, when you’re a few floors from the last floor, you feel the goo harden under you, making the stairs stable.

“The goo!” You exclaim. “It’s hard!”

Dustin and Steve share a relieved smile that matches the look on their faces before they answer that relief by quickening their pace, making you match it before you get ahead and lead the way.

“Hey,” Steve breaks the silence before he gently strokes your back. “How’s your head?”

You peer back and throw him a thumbs-up. “No signs of a concussion or my mother, so I’m okay…unless this isn’t real?” You start to doubt.

“Well, considering we almost fell to our deaths and the goo suddenly turned hard, I’d say it’s not, but it is. Thankfully,” he sighs. “Now let’s hope we remain lucky enough to find the other two.”

“I’m sure we will,” you quickly try to remain positive, hoping that if you said it it would become true.

“Would now be the wrong time to say,” Dustin pauses after he cuts into your conversation. “That you guys talk really loud.”

Your eyes slightly widen before you peer back at Steve and share a confused and panicked look.

“What?” You slowly drag out and find his gaze, sharing that panic with him as he looks back at you with that same knowing look from before. Only this time he also smirks smugly.

“Wait,” you blurt. “What? Dustin?!”

“Oh look, the door,” Dustin snickers and leaves you confused as he opens the door and walks into the floor first.

“What do you think he heard?” Steve asks what you’re now overthinking.

“I,” you stammer. “I don’t know. I haven’t told you any gossip.“

“We haven’t even had time to sneak off either. Maybe just in general?” He wonders as he lets you walk into the floor first before he follows after you.

“I…don’t know. Dustin!” You yell after him as you run over to the hardened wall he’s standing by.

“I’m thinking we should try here,” he says, avoiding what you want to ask him to playfully torment you and Steve.

“Give me a spear,” he adds before Steve takes a spear from your sheath and motions you back.

“Step aside,” he instructs and since the work doesn’t look strenuous you do as he asked and watch him start to pound on the hardened wall, making debris start to rain over him before he starts to make a dent.

He then proceeds to put more force behind his swings and cracks the wall, but since it doesn’t give you access to the room, he keeps hitting it over and over again until he finally tears through the wall, causing you to hold onto your breath as you fear that Jonathan and Nancy won’t be inside.

Nevertheless, Steve then offers you back your spear and pokes his head in. “Sorry we’re late,” you hear him say, offering you relief and letting you draw out a relieved breath before you shove the spear back in the sheath and join him by the hole.

“Jonathan! Nancy!” You greet them with a smile and they return it with just as much pleasure before they hurry over to cross to the other side.

“Here,” Steve offers Nancy his hand to help her over to your side.

“You guys okay?” You immediately ask as she lands on the floor safely.

“Yeah,” she assures the group. “Yeah. We’re okay.”

You pat her back gently before Dustin steals her from your side as he surprises her with an embrace.

“Thanks,” you hear Jonathan say behind you, making you turn to grab his arm and pull his attention toward you.

“Jonathan! Are you okay?”

Said man holds your gaze before he studies you too. “Yeah, yeah. Are you?”

You nod with a smile before you drag your hand up and squeeze his shoulder. “Your mother would’ve killed me if I went back without you,” you bring up what he told you earlier today.

“Yeah,” he chuckles. “Like your dad would let her.”

You giggle and he lifts his hand to offer your shoulder a squeeze before your attention is taken by Dustin’s stammering.

“We just…we three thought…”

“We were goners,” Nancy finishes for him. “Yeah, we did too.”

“Yes.” He nods.

“Turns out that shield generator of yours…”

“Isn’t really a shield generator,” Steve interjects. “Yeah, we know.”

“Well, you’d think that would have been good information to share,” Nancy remarks, making Steve pull out Dustin’s broken walkie.

“Well, we tried.”

“The antenna snapped,” Dustin adds before you chime in with the truth.

“They broke it in their fight.”

Nancy hums and then focuses back on the matter at hand. “Okay, so then what the hell did I shoot?”

“Exotic matter,” Dustin puts it simply, but as simple as it is they’re both confused.

“And we’re supposed to know what that is?” Jonathan asks, making Steve snatch Dustin's flashlight to let Dustin take out the journal he found.

“It’s all in here,” Dustin shares. “Look. Check this out. Dr. Brenner’s notebook from ‘83. This thing is a gold mine.” He muses as he shares what’s inside. “All his research into the gate, how he created it, what it really is. I’m still deciphering it, but…”

“Yeah, this shit will fry your brain,” Steve interrupts him.

“But,” you add. “Holly isn’t on the other side of the wall.”

Nancy looks at you with anger before she questions you with a tone to match. “Then where is she?”

“We don’t know…exactly,” Dustin answers for you. “But where she is, it’s not the Upside Down.”

Nancy drops her anger and looks upset as she’s left with far more questions than answers.

“Why don’t we sit down and try to find something that could…answer our questions,” you suggest as you point at the space beside you.

And since there's nowhere to go and there's no danger currently threatening your lives, you take a moment to rest, letting Nancy and Jonathan look through the journal, hoping that they can find something that Dustin couldn’t.

Albeit a lot of it is too complicated to understand or not what you’re looking for. If you had more time you could understand more of what’s jotted down, but with the time and where you are, all you can do is flip through the journal.

That is until suddenly Nancy blurts. “What was that?” And gets up to walk away from the group and look up.

“What was what?” Steve asks what you’re all wondering, but instead of answering she lets a silence unfold that lets you hear a distant scream.

“Holly,” Nancy announces and runs off.

Jonathan and Dustin are quick to follow while you and Steve question how she knew it was her sister before you follow them to the fire escape and then up to the roof.

Once you’re outside, a distant voice calling out for Nancy leads you to the middle of the roof and pulls your eyes up to the sky where you see Nancy’s little sister, Holly floating in the sky. She’s not falling, she’s just frozen in place as if…someone’s holding her there.

“Nancy, help me! Help me down, please!” Holly yells desperately.

“Holly!”

“We have to…get her,” you say breathlessly as you start to realize why she isn’t moving.

“Nancy! Nancy, please!”

“Holly!”

“Hurry!” You urge Steve so he could help you think of something before…he, Vecna could do something.

Alas…

“Nancy!” Holly cries again and for one last time before suddenly she’s yanked back to the sky, letting only her last scream echo before she’s no longer in sight.

“Oh god,” you gasp and cover your mouth as you’re left stunned. And you’re not the only one. The shock and speechlessness spreads over the entire group, leaving you frozen there until Jonathan turns to Nancy and starts to comfort her, leaving you, Steve, and Dustin left to the side.

“Let’s get you back inside,” Steve ushers you so you won’t suffer the fate Holly just did.

“Hello,” a voice suddenly breaks through the walkie, causing you all to freeze and look at Dustin. “Come in…Dustin!”

“Someone,” you whisper before you shout. “ANSWER!”

Dustin fumbles with the walkie before he finally holds it firmly and tries to respond. “We’re here. Over.”

You wait for a response as Nancy and Jonathan huddle around Dustin and wait.

“Hello? We’re here. This is Dustin, over,” Dustin says, making you share an excited look with Nancy before you listen to Dustin try again.

“Is anyone there? Repeat, this is Dustin.”

“Dustin! It’s Mike,” he responds, making you relieved to hear his voice for once.

“Holly’s escaped from Vecna, and she’s on her way to my house in the Upside Down. I need you to get there as fast as you can and rendezvous with Holly. Do you copy?”

Your smile falls and your relief turns to pity.

“Holly’s not at the house,” Dustin shares. “We found her. We found Holly. Repeat. We found her.” Dustin says and waits for a response before there’s only static making him press his friend.

“Mike! Can you hear me? Mike?!”

“We’re…coming!” Is all he says before there’s static again, but what does it matter? They found a way to reach you. They’re coming!

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