~*****~

Biking along the road, Juliet kept her pace steady as she pedaled to stay in line with the others. Her breathing was coming out in uneven breaths, a subtle mist escaping from each exhale. The chill was getting to her, turning her fingers numb and her skin to ice. Eddie's trailed did nothing to stave off the chill, and Juliet couldn't help but to start shivering, desperately trying to hide it.

"Jesus Christ, Julie-" Steve complained, tugging off the vest and slinging it over her shoulders. It wasn't much, but it was warm from his body heat. She couldn't thank him just yet, not until they were safe. Eddie walked towards the end of his trailer, sighing out softly. "Goddamn," Steve murmured as he stared up at the red glow in the ceiling.

"This is where Chrissy died," Eddie said softly. "Like, right where she died."

"I think there's something in there." Robin mentioned.

"What the hell is that?" Eddie murmured as something began prodding at the opening. Then, it popped open with a sickening squelch, causing the group to flinch in surprise. Light poured in from the opening, urging Juliet forward. Stepping into the light, Juliet began to laugh and smile.

"Dustin! You little shit bird!" She cheered.

"Where the hell is your shirt?" Dustin cried out, waving his arms wildly. The others stepped forward; eyes wide in astonishment. "Hi there!" Dustin laughed as they all came into view.

"Holy shit, this is trippy," Robin mentioned.

The group on the other side carted a wide, stained up mattress to the ground for the group to land on. One by one, the others turned their gazes at Eddie, who panicked. "Those stains are, uh... I don't know what those stains are."

"Not quite sure how these physics are gonna work. But, uh... Here goes nothing." Dustin hummed, tossing a rope made of sheets through the hole. Juliet tugged at it curiously and smiled when it stuck fast. "And if my theory is correct..." Dustin and Juliet let go of the sheets and they remained in their spots. "Abracadabra."

"Holy shit-" Max laughed.

"Does it hold well, Julie?" Dustin asked.

Julie grasped onto the sheet and lifted her feet for a moment, grinning. "Yeah, it's good!" Juliet answered.

"This is the craziest shit I've ever seen in my life!" Erica commented excitedly. "And I've seen some crazy shit."

"Okay, Robin, you first," Juliet urged, stooping down and patting her knee.

Robin smiled. "Guess I'm the guinea pig, but thanks for the boost," Robin hummed as she used Juliet's leg as leverage to hoist herself up. Juliet held onto Robin's leg and helped her climb up until she fell through the opening, landing on the mattress with a gasp.

"Nance, you next." Juliet nodded her head. Nancy smiled and grasped onto the rope and grunted as Juliet grasped her hips and hoisted her up high, practically throwing her through the opening. "Eddie," Juliet waved her hand.

"You're not gonna dead lift me, are you?" Eddie asked sheepishly as he grasped the rope. Juliet waved her hand and knelt down again, patting her thigh. Eddie gingerly stepped onto it and hoisted himself up, flushing at her hands grasping his calves and hoisting him higher. "Holy shit-" Eddie cried before flopping onto the mattress. "That was fun!" He cheered in surprise. "Shit!"

"Okay, Steve," Juliet offered.

"No, you go first, baby," Steve urged, palming at her cold as ice skin.

"Steve, you're injured, go before I pick you up." Juliet ordered as she slipped to her knee. Just as Steve takes a step on it and gets through to the other side, the portal snaps shut, causing Juliet to shout in shock. "Hey!" She shouts loudly, grasping at the rope that snaps loose and flutters to her hands. "No, no, no, no-" She murmured. The sounds of crickets start echoing out around her, causing the hairs on her neck to stand on end in horror. She knew this scene all to well. She'd spent many nights waking in a cold sweat from the memory alone. The night she came face to face with a Demogorgon. There was an animalistic screech that caused Juliet to surged forward, running as hard as she could.

Unaware of the situation, Juliet remained in her spot, eyes fluttering softly as they rolled back, still on one knee. "Julie-" Steve called out once he felt her hands leave his leg. Peering down, he shouted out her name. "Julie!" He shouted desperately and fell to the ground, surging towards her as he tilted her head back just a bit. "Julie, come on, wake up! Julie! Don't do this to me!" Steve pleaded, shaking her harder. Her eyes were fluttering wildly, the whites visible.

Juliet huffed out breathlessly, gasping harder and harder as she kept hearing that horrible screech behind her. "Do you remember this, Juliet?" A grated voice echoed out from somewhere just out of sight. "You could've joined Will that night, or the others, like Barb, had you just let me take you." Juliet panted louder, panic rising in her chest. Juliet kept cursing under her breath, body dipping and slipping sideways as more and more monsters began popping out. A red fog appeared in the distance, and Juliet surged straight into it, despite the horror in her gut. "You were so close. So close to the truth," Vecna murmurs just in Juliet's ear. "How was old, blind, dumb Victor? Did he miss me? I've been meaning to check back in, but I've been busy." Juliet gasped in horror as she comes across Fred's mangled body strung up like a prize. "So, very busy." It was as if someone played a video in Juliet's head. Memories being played out as the Creel family moved into their new house.

"This is amazing!" Alice chirped happily. "It looks like a fairy tale! A dream!"

"Alice, no running." Virginia Creel chided to her daughter.

"It's so big!" Alice cheered.

Henry stood in the back, gazing down at the floor, and it was like a punch to the gut. Henry was a strange child, as he'd mentioned, gathering black widows and torturing animals with powers akin to Eleven's. He revealed how he tortured his family and killed them. Victor Creel had been arrested for the deaths of his daughter and wife, and when Henry awoke, he was taken by the same people that raised Eleven. As number one. Then, Eleven sent him to the Upside Down, creating the monstrosity known as Vecna.

"You see? There's nothing to be afraid of. Is there, Juliet?" Dr. Jenner suddenly hummed. Juliet froze, body locked and prepared to run. Jenner turned his head to her, eyes glassy and strange. "Why don't you take a seat?"

"Fuck that-" Juliet suddenly exclaimed before bolting, running down the hallways covered in blood and bodies. Juliet ran and ran until she came upon a set of doors boarded up. She didn't hesitate to throw her body against it, breaking through it with the adrenaline pumping through her. Her body rolled against the ground. She backed up until the wall hit her. She was in a small room, completely caged in. There was no escape.

"Why are you running?" Vecna drawls out as she peers down the hall. Horrifying and gross looking, Vecna stalks calmly towards her, as if he has all the time in the world. "It's not time for you to leave. Now that you've seen where I've been... I would very much like to show you where I am going."

"Take a seat, Juliet," Dr. Jenner's voice rings out just behind her ear.

Juliet shouts out in fury, attempting to swing her arm back, but it's futile, as she's pinned to a chair by a force, she only knew from Eleven. Juliet struggles violently, bucking her body around, trying to free herself. Slick, slimy vines curl around her body, holding her fast as she thrashes. "Fuck, fuck, fuck fuck-" Juliet gasps, hyperventilating as Vecna stands at the end of the room, grotesque form slowly shambling forward. He leans in close to her, as if studying her. Juliet can't help but recoil from him.

"I want you to tell Eleven... I want you to tell her everything you see." Vecna hums softly as he raises his hand to brush at the wild locks of hair framing Juliet's face. Terrifying claws angled down at her face and her eyes crossed in eldritch horror. Then, out of nowhere, horrible images began flittering through her head. A devastating earthquake rocking Hawkins, her friends and family suffering greatly and dying in the cataclysmic event. Juliet screamed loudly, bucking against the vines holding her down.

Then, just at the last second, Juliet's eyes snap open, drawing out gasps of horror as she stumbles back, scrambling back on her hands as she starts screaming. "Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa," Steve exclaimed as he held his hands out, scooting forward to her. Juliet kept gasping and sucking deep breaths, eyes crossing at the lack of air. Her cheeks flushed and tears began to leak from her eyes, causing horrible rattling breaths to start echoing out. "Dustin! I need the inhaler!" Steve shouted at the sound. A little container fell through the portal and Steve caught it, holding it up to Juliet as he surged forward, curling his arms around her waist. The soft puffs echo out in the room, causing Juliet to suck in a steady breath, still coughing and panicking. "It's okay, baby, I got you-" Steve murmured, rubbing at her back as Juliet tries to gain her bearings. "I'm right here-" Steve urged, palming at her face. "I'm here."

~*****~

Juliet explained what she'd seen to the others to the best of her ability, hands dug into her hair as her head remained hung. "I saw... a dark cloud..." Juliet murmured softly. "Spreading over Hawkins. Downtown on fire. Dead soldiers. And this... this giant creature with... a gaping mouth. And this creature wasn't alone. There were so many monsters. An army. And they were coming into Hawkins. Into our neighborhoods. Our homes. And then... he showed me my family... Mom and Dustin..." Juliet tightened her hands in her hair, pulling as the panic tries to set in again. Juliet's leg began bouncing rapidly.

"Okay, but... he's just trying to scary you, Julie," Steve tried to remind her. "Right, I mean... it's not real."

"Not yet," Juliet snapped, leg bouncing harder. "But there was something else," Juliet admits as she lifts her head a fraction, hot tears burning at her lash line. "He showed me gates. Four gates. Spreading across Hawkins. And these gates, they looked like the one outside of Eddie's trailer, but... they didn't stop growing." Juliet explained. "And this wasn't the Upside Down Hawkins. This was our Hawkins. Our home."

"Four chimes," Max suddenly says, garnering the attention of the group. "Vecna's clock. It always chimes four times. Four exactly."

"Yeah, I heard them, too," Juliet murmured.

Max shakes her head in irritation. "He's been telling us his plan this whole time." Max states.

"Four kills." Lucas murmurs. "Four gates. End of the world."

"If that's true, he's only one kill away." Dustin reminds everyone.

"Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ," Eddie complains.

"Try 'em again," Steve orders. "Try 'em again!" Max goes to the phone as Juliet ducks her head again, returning to pulling her hair and bouncing her leg. Dustin sat besides her and offered the inhaler.

"Didn't know you had asthma," Robin murmured as she sat on Juliet's other side, listening to take in soft breaths of medicine.

"It's only when she has real bad panic attacks," Dustin mentioned softly, rubbing at his sister's back. "Started when Dad left."

"I'll thank you not to tell any more information," Juliet snapped. "I don't need every bit of life aired."

"It's okay," Robin hummed gingerly. "I mean, we're friends, and we want to know about you." Robin expressed, looping an arm over her back. "Like the glasses thing-" Robin gave a hiss as her hair is tugged violently.

Juliet sat up, panic subsiding for the meantime. "If Vecna's trying to get us to tell Eleven what he's planning, then he can't get to her." Juliet mentioned as if it just hit her. "He's desperate to get to her, and if he does, I can't imagine what kind of horrors he comes up with." Juliet hissed and tugged at her hair again before standing up. "We have to go back in there." Juliet ordered after a moment of thought.

Everyone began shouting out in dismissal. "Let's think this through," Steve urged.

"What is there to think through?" Juliet shot back.

"We barely made it out of there." Steve expressed.

"Yeah, because we didn't have shit," Juliet snapped. "I had a small pocket knife, that's it! But this time, we will be. We'll get weapons and protection. We'll go through the gate, we'll find his lair, and we kill the bastard!"

"Or he'll kill us!" Steve exclaims. "The only reason you survive is because he wanted you to. He's not scared of us!"

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

"Fuck face-" Juliet snapped.

"One," Dustin and Lucas hum.

"Vecna," Erica says.

"Henry," Nancy says.

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

"Why the hell would we fight fair?" Juliet shot back. "If I'm in a dirty fight at the ring, I'm going for kidneys."

"She's right," Dustin agreed. "He's like Eleven. But that gives us the upper hand. We know Eleven's strengths, and weaknesses."

"Weaknesses?" Erica echoed.

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

"That would explain what he was doing in the attic," Lucas hums.

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

"Defenseless?" Steve argued. "What about the army of bats?" Steve asked as he gestured to the bruising around his neck.

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

"And, uh, how do we do that, exactly?" Eddie asks.

"No idea," Dustin shrugged. "But once they're gone. He doesn't stand a chance. It'll be like slaying sleeping dracula in his coffin."

"Proverbial stake through heart," Juliet nods.

"That all sounds good in theory, but there is no pattern to Vecna's killings." Robin expresses. "I mean, at least not one I can decipher. We don't know when he's going to attack next. We don't even know who he's going to attack next."

"Yes we do," Juliet retorted firmly. "If she lets her guard down, that's when he strikes." Juliet gestures to Max.

Max nodded. "She's right. I can still feel him. I'm still marked." Max states. "Cursed. I ditch Kate Bush, I draw his focus back to me."

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

"I survived before." Max retorts firmly. "I can survive again. I just... need to keep him busy long enough so that you guys can get into that attic. Then you can chop his head off. Stab him in the heart. Blow him up with some explosive Dustin and Julie cook up. I honestly don't care how you put this asshole in his grave. Just... whatever it is... whatever you do... try not to miss."

~*****~

Steve gave a grimace as Juliet unraveled the bandages across his waist as he sat on the couch, shifting against the stinging sensation burning at his sides. He peered down at Juliet, at her tightly furrowed brows and her slightly grimy skin. She didn't look any better than the others who'd been trapped in the Upside Down, but it didn't staunch her beauty one bit. Hissing at the flash of discomfort from her fingers brushing against the edge of one of his wounds, Steve grasped at the couch as his head tilted back. "Sorry. Once we get out of here, I'll find some first aid supplies, clean it up." Juliet murmured, rewrapping the wound tightly. "Can you believe Max had no alcohol in the house?"

"Apparently her mom's a bit of a slush," Steve retorted with a shrug. "Could really use something strong right now."

Juliet shook her head and palmed at his cheek for a moment before standing up and snatching the bloodied towels she'd grabbed from Max's bathroom and tossed them into the garbage, oblivious to Steve letting his gaze follow her bared skin.

"Do you want something to put on?" Max asked as she held up a few of her old, oversized flannel shirts. Steve raised his hands and then let them drop onto his lap in irritation. "Well, I'm sorry, but watching you perv on her is annoying." Max commented. "Here," Max held the shirts to Juliet, who took them with a grateful smile.

"Hey, check this out," Eddie called out as he flopped a book onto the table. "The War Zone," Eddie said as he pointed to an ad in the book. Juliet hastily buttoned up the shirt she'd put on as the group ambled to the table. "I've been there once. It's huge. They got everything you need for, uh... well, killing things, basically."

"Do you think fake Rambo has enough guns there?" Robin asked, peering at the ad. "Is that a grenade? I mean, how is any of this legal?"

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

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

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

"Not to mention, Julie can strong arm anyone trying to hassle us if they're that angry." Dustin mentioned.

"Hey, hey- no, no-" Steve retorted firmly. "We're not letting my girlfriend beat up some hick in a weapon store."

"I don't see why not," Juliet and Dustin droned. "Is it worth the time? It'll take all day to bike there and back." Dustin commented.

"Who said anything about bikes?" Eddie asked.

"You got some car we don't know about?" Steve asked.

"It's not exactly a car, Steve," Eddie hummed as he stood up. "And it's not exactly mine, but uh, it'll do. Hey!" Eddie called out to Max. "Red, uh, you got a ski mask or bandana, something like that?" Max thinks for a moment before perking up and charging to her room. Charging out, Juliet can't help the snort that escapes her mouth as she holds out the small Michael Myer's mask to Eddie.

The group exits Max's trailer and makes their way to a beat up, old Winnebago. Two people are outside of it, listening to the radio as the group sneaks into it via an open window. Eddie hops into the driver's seat and starts fiddling with the wires underneath. "Where'd you learn how to do this?" Steve asked cautiously.

"Well, when the other dads were teaching their kids how to fish or play ball, my old man was teaching me how to hot-wire." Eddie retorted. "Now, I swore to myself I wouldn't wind up like he did, but now, I'm wanted for murder. And soon, grand theft auto. So, uh, I'm really living up to that Munson name.

"Eddie, I'm not sure I love the idea of you driving," Robin comments.

"Oh, I'm just starting this sucker. Harrington's got her." Eddie chided with a smug grin, tilting his head up to Steve as he batted his eyelashes. "Don't you, big boy." With a swipe of a wire, the RV roared to life, causing Juliet to quickly leap into the passenger seat. The people outside took notice immediately, shouting and cursing for the group to open the door. Eddie slid into the back and Steve leapt into the driver's seat with ease.

"Everybody hang on to something!" Steve ordered. Juliet grasped onto the arms of her chair after buckling herself in. Panic ensued in the RV.

"Drive! Steve, Drive!" Dustin shouted from the back, urging Steve to slam his foot on the gas. The TV took off with a loud rumble, bouncing the occupants around.

Juliet panted softly as she peered around her seat and began to grin. "I don't know about you, but breaking the law is kinda fun," Juliet mentioned with a laugh.

"Don't get used to it," Steve retorted with the same laugh of excitement.