(Ep. 7: The Massacre at Hawkins Lab)

Lightning strikes with the force of a million volts as Steve fights for his life.

Clinging onto his throat like a famished leech, the tail of what appears to be a bat tightens itself with every breath he takes. He digs his hands onto the creature, attempting to pry it off all while trying to ignore the piercing agony of having lots of sharp teeth biting his abdomen and threatening to make him their next meal.

He's fought monsters before and one of them nearly threatened to rip his head off if it wasn't for the help of his friends. All these times he's faced any of these creatures, Steve has always had backup and never once felt like he had been abandoned. But as he's laying on the cold ground being completely ambushed by these monsters, his hope starts to vanish as he's certain that for the first time, he's alone in this.

What if the gate closed the second he was dragged in? What if somehow they're trying to find him, but there's absolutely no entrance? Steve knows better than letting his mind dwell on his most obscure thoughts, but feeling the bats' teeth dig into his side and feeling his breathing struggling the more the tail tightens around his throat, leaves him at a complete loss.

If there's one thing he's certain about is that right now, he's dying. There's no one here but him and as much as he wants to-

"Steve!"

The familiar and beautiful voice awakens him from his dark thoughts, and the pain on his left side vanishes. He looks up and finds none other than the girl he loves standing over him with a paddle in her hands. Her hair is dripping wet and cascading down her shoulders in a messy, but perfect way. She's panting uncontrollably and her forehead is creasing in complete distress, and yet, he can't help but admire how beautiful she looks.

Gwen swings the paddle with all her strength against the bats and the only one that remains is the one clinging onto his throat. She presses her boot on the tail while smacking the wooden paddle with all her might against it. The creature remains adamant on keeping him trapped and it only fuels her determination to slam the oar with even more force and at a much quicker pace.

All around her, Nancy, Robin, and Eddie are swinging their paddles against other bats. The lightning strikes again and serves as a sign to bring more creatures in their direction. Gwen doesn't bother paying attention to her surroundings as her boot presses even harder into the tail and the oar starts smashing deep into the bat's skin, causing it to let out an agonized shriek that it starts to loosen his grip on Steve's throat.

Before the bat is able to be pried off, she hears Eddie calling out to her, "Gwen! Watch out!"

Not giving her a chance to act fast, the claws of the bat dig deep into her back. The harsh impact makes her topple over and the oar that was once in her hand falls to the ground in a grating collision. Gwen's hands reach for her back as she attempts to remove the creature off her. The agonizing pain starts spreading all around her back and feels like flames are burning her from the inside out. She tries shaking the bat off, but no matter how hard she tries, the creature is adamant on clinging on to her.

"Gwen!" Robin heads in her direction and situates her hands onto the bat's wings. She starts pulling it off, but with every attempt, the more its claws dig deeper into Gwen's skin.

Steve couldn't take it anymore. Hearing his friends and hearing her scream gave him enough strength to pull the tail far from his throat and close enough to his mouth. He sinks his teeth into it, ignoring the gooey substance emitting from the creature and quickly rises up once the tail lands in his hands. The bat lets out an agonizing shriek and attempts to fly off, but he's able to reach for its tail just in time and begins slamming it vigorously against the ground.

In a harsh pull, Gwen ignores the piece of skin the bat took off and focuses on curling her hands around its tail. The bat tries scurrying away, but with Robin's help, she regains control and not once, not twice, she starts slamming the bat onto the rocks continuously. It starts getting disoriented, giving her enough time to reach for the paddle and press the base on top of its head, finally killing it once and for all.

"Come here!" Steve bellows, his hands digging deep into the bat's tail as he smashes it down. The creature shrieks in pain, writhing uncontrollably as he places his foot below his head and pulls back on its tail with an extreme force that results in its dismemberment. He pants uncontrollably, spitting out blood as he remains unaware of everyone staring at him.

"Steve! Oh, my God, are you okay?!" Gwen rushes in his direction, her hands softly pressing against his shoulders as she glances down at the wounds and blood emitting from his abdomen. Afraid to hurt him even more, her fingers land a couple centimeters away from his skin as she examines the severity of his injuries.

"Jesus Christ," Eddie panics, pacing all around while staring attentively at his surroundings. "Jesus H. Christ!"

Steve glances down to examine his wounds, "Well, they took about a pound of flesh." He looks up at her, feeling a thousand times better when seeing her angelic face staring back at him. "But other than that, yeah, never better."

Pointing her flashlight at the bat Steve dismembered, Robin can't help but ask, "Uh, do you guys think these bats have, like, rabies?"

Steve furrows his brows at her, "What?"

"It's just that rabies, are like, my number one greatest fear," Robin stands up from her crouched position, ignoring all the confused stares sent her way. "And I think we should get you to a doctor, like, really soon because once symptoms set in, it's too late. You're already dead."

"Hey, Rob?" Gwen softly says, earning a nod from her freckled friend. "You're not helping right now. Please don't mention anything about dying."

"Sorry, it's just that I ramble when I'm scared and considering we faced death just now, I don't know, well- I'm feeling just a tad bit more jumpy than before," Robin runs through her words, her breathing becoming heavier as her hands flail all around in a skittish way.

"Robin," Nancy cuts her off, giving her a comforting smile that serves as a sign for Robin to turn quiet.

Before any of them can get another word in, the sound of shrieking bats can be heard from a distance. The five of them turn their heads to the source, noticing a few bats heading their way at an incredibly rapid speed.

The sky flashes a deep red, creating a much more sinister ambience as the creatures land a couple feet from them. "Alright, there's not that many. We can take 'em. Right?" Steve suggests, but based on his tremulous voice, it's obvious he's uncertain of their efficiency.

The chittering increases and the red lighting allows them to get a clearer glimpse of the swarm of bats heading their way. It's clear they won't be able to take on all of them without leaving unscathed. Staying here won't do anyone good so all they're certain about is that they need to run and hide.

"You were saying?" Robin sarcastically asks.

"Go to the woods!" Gwen interlocks her hand with Steve's and starts running off in the direction of the trees. The rest are quick to trail after them and continuously whip their head back and forth to check how far those creatures are. There's tons of vines all around the forest and she makes sure not to step on any of them just in case it alerts Vecna of their whereabouts. Better be safe than sorry. "Careful with those vines!"

She's not sure if hiding in the woods will help in any way. Those bats are capable of anything and what's to say a couple of branches will stop them from finding them? Regardless if the stakes are low, she's not about to give up without making sure her loved ones are safe and sound.

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It's been a while since they've been hiding under Skull Rock. All five are crammed together and looking up at the sky just waiting for the shrieking to stop. Those bats have been circulating the area for what feels like an eternity and quite frankly, leaving the Upside Down doesn't seem likely at the rate they're in.

As the thunder continues blaring, the chittering of the creatures start to gradually fade until eventually, they're no longer swarming around their hiding spot.

"Oh... okay," Robin is the first to step out, her eyes wandering between every inch of the sky and sighing in relief when noticing they're gone. "That was close."

"Yeah," Eddie breathes out, still appearing reluctant in walking out. "Too close."

"At least they're gone now," Nancy points out and rests her hands on her hips while sighing in relief.

Steve tries focusing on what they're saying, but as he rises from his spot, his head starts spinning uncontrollably and his vision starts getting blurry. He stumbles lightly as he rests his body against the boulder, "Oh, shit."

Gwen, feeling his absence, turns around and feels her heart sink to the ground when seeing his terrible state, "Steve?"

"I'm fine. I'm fine," he tells her, knowing she's not about to believe him as she knows him like the palm of her hand. He can't afford to worry her when it should be the other way around. She's still cursed and now that they're stuck in the Upside Down, she's more prone to Vecna's attack now. Having the attention on him is something he's not about to let happen, not when she's more important right now.

She brushes him off and helps him sit down, "You're not fine. You're losing a lot of blood, so let me take care of you."

"I'm more than alright," Steve argues and averts his gaze to the ground knowing he'd be met by those scolding eyes of hers.

Gwen crouches down in front of him and raises his chin so he'd look at her, "No. You told me to not push you away, so now it's me that's not letting you do that. Shut up and let me help you."

Conceding to her demand, Steve removes his hands from his injury. He notices her widened eyes and concerned expression just like Robin, Nancy, and Eddie are too. He tries brushing the pain off by forcing a laugh, "Like El would say, it's pretty bitchin'."

Gwen reaches for the bottom of her shirt and sinks her nails deep into the fabric to rip a giant piece. She doesn't even take notice of Robin crouched down next to her until she begins speaking.

"Oh..." Robin says nervously, "Okay, so the good news is I'm pretty sure wooziness is not a symptom of rabies. But if you start having hallucinations or muscle spasms or you start feeling aggressive, like you wanna punch me, let me know."

"Robin," Steve interrupts, letting out a painful groan as he tries ignoring how much his injuries are hurting.

"Yeah?" his best friend innocently asks.

"I kinda wanna punch you," he admits, earning a laugh from her.

"Sense of humor is still intact. That's a good sign!" Noticing Gwen finishing up ripping her shirt, she stands up and walks away.

"Okay," Gwen leans forward just as he sits up on his knees. His face scrunches up in agony that it makes her dread having to inflict another round of pain by placing this fabric on him. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah. Just do it," he takes a deep breath and watches as she comes closer and starts pressing the fabric against his skin. The texture feels like blazing knives are pricking at him; there's a burning ardor spreading all around his body like radiation, causing him to let out a soft groan that he tries keeping as quiet as possible.

"I'm so sorry," Gwen apologizes, wincing discreetly from hating seeing him in this much pain. No matter how much she wants to stop, she knows to keep going to make sure he doesn't bleed out.

"It's okay. Don't worry," Steve assures her and leans his head back while running his hands through his hair, the faintest groan escaping his lips as he tries breathing in and out to try and control the pain.

"Too tight?" she asks, glancing up at him while tightening the cloth around his waist.

"No, that's good," he softly says, reassuring her that everything's okay.

Gwen doesn't say anything and proceeds to tie a knot to make sure it's well secured. She starts feeling his eyes on her and as if a force is pulling her in, she looks up and stares at his beautiful face.

Steve's heart performs an intricate dance, one that only happens when he's around her. He admires those majestic blue eyes of hers: so bright, so enchanting, and so mesmerizing that submerges him into a wave of deep serenity. From the way her face is displaying a rosy tint, to the way her mouth is curving into the faintest of smiles, and to the way her freckles are resting on the bridge of her nose like constellations, he can't help but to fall in love with her even more.

She's his home, his reason, his purpose, his everything. Gwen Henderson is the air he breathes and as long as he's with her, nothing in his life can ever go wrong. He could stare at her for an eternity and if he's granted the opportunity, he wouldn't think twice in taking it.

"Thanks," his voice is barely a whisper as his gaze never once breaks.

"Yeah, any time," Gwen's heart is pounding against her chest and she swears if it could jump out, it'd be close to doing it right about now. He's the only person to ignite a burning passion, to make her shoot for the stars, and to help her see a light at the end of the tunnel. She loves him, she really loves him, and all she wants is to be his forever.

"So, uh, this place is like Hawkins, but with monsters and nasty shit?" Eddie nervously questions from the top of one the rocks he had climbed.

"Pretty much," Gwen replies, her arm wrapping itself around Steve's waist to help him up as he places his arm around her shoulder for balance.

Eddie starts climbing down, but before he's able to get a step in, Nancy stops him halfway, "Wait, watch out for the vines. It's all a hive mind."

Glancing at his surroundings, Eddie remains perfectly still with his arms extended on his side to try and remain steady, "It's all a-what?"

Steve lets out a frustrated breath, "All the creepy crawlies around here. They're, like, one or something. Step on a vine, you're stepping on a bat, you're stepping on Vecna."

"Shit," Eddie mutters while carefully climbing down from the boulder.

Robin gazes around in curiosity, not exactly sure what she pictured the Upside Down to look like. In all honesty, she didn't expect it to resemble the real world and just contain monsters and creepy vines. "But everything from our world is still here, right? Except for people?"

"You pretty much nailed it," Gwen tries ignoring the terrible burning on her back. She's not sure how much the bat took from her, but from the way she can feel the blood running down her back and feels the intense ardor spreading all around, it can't be anything good.

"As far as we understand, yeah," Nancy adds while continuing to look up at the skies to make sure those creatures aren't coming back.

"So, theoretically, we could go to the police station and steal guns and grenades and whatever we need to blow up those bat things that are guarding the gate," Robin questions way too fast that if they weren't used to her rambles, they wouldn't have understood a single word.

"I highly doubt the Hawkins PD has grenades, Robin," Steve retorts, sarcasm dripping from his tongue. "But guns, yeah, sure."

"Love the positivity there," Gwen teases as she leans her back against the boulder. The coldness of the stone feels refreshing on her injury for mere seconds, but the cooling sensation quickly turns into a fit of pain. She bites her cheek to refrain from groaning, but as expected, Steve is already hurrying in her direction.

"Turn around," he orders and Gwen frowns at him. "I let you help me, so now it's my turn to help you."

Reluctantly, she turns around and caves, refusing to make a scene by arguing as they need all the time they can get. His hands start raising the bottom of her shirt and his fingers trail down her skin as if he's studying her like a map. She freezes upon his graze and shivers run down her spine at his blazing heat that envelopes her like a blanket. God, she's missed this. She's missed the feeling of his touch and even if they're under these circumstances, she's grateful her injury served as an excuse to feel him again.

"Damn it," Steve's eyes widen in distress and his mouth curves into a perfect frown. He doesn't understand how she managed to refrain from complaining considering a piece of her flesh had been torn off. "Like usual, you didn't say anything. Why couldn't you say anything?"

"At the moment, it didn't hurt," she tries defending herself and her reasoning is actually true. With having to fight against those bats and doing everything to help him, the adrenaline numbed the pain and made her forget those creatures had removed a piece of her. "It barely started, okay?"

Steve scolds himself for having removed his sweater. He's shirtless in this frigid dimension without shoes and only wearing pants. If he knew getting dragged into the Upside Down would have happened, he would have reconsidered his choices.

Nancy, noticing his struggling to find anything to wrap her injury with, heads in their direction and doesn't think twice about ripping a piece of her shirt.

"What's going on over there?" Eddie questions and strides their way with Robin trailing after him. He gasps when seeing her injured back, but quickly turns around when Steve glares at him for gawking at her exposed back. "Shit, umm... I'm just going to stand somewhere else."

"On the bright side," Robin begins and gently presses her hand on top of Gwen's fist. "You guys have matching wounds. Well, Steve's are on his sides and yours is on your back, but either way, they're kind of matching."

Pumping her free fist into the air, Gwen ignores the stinging pain of Steve wrapping the cloth around her lower back. "Yay for us," she sarcastically says, but smiles at her friend either way.

"This should hold, but once we get out of here, you're getting this checked out," Steve lowers her shirt, but his fingers linger on her body for a little longer. She turns her head to the side, not wanting to move an inch out of fear it would ruin everything. He looks up at her and just like that, it's like she's falling in love with him all over again. Everything they've gone through, all the arguments, all the hassles, all the broken promises, become forgotten about as if there's one thing they've both chosen is to let the past go.

"Thanks," she whispers and gently nods her head at him before turning around and facing the group. "Okay, so, Robin's idea sounds great. We need to get those guns quickly."

"Well," Nancy begins, "We don't have to go all the way downtown for guns. I have guns in my bedroom."

Eddie jumps down from one of the rocks, his face adorning itself with bewilderment that Miss Perfect has weapons. "You, Nancy Wheeler, have guns, plural, in your bedroom?"

Robin nervously chuckles and points in her direction, "Full of surprises, isn't she?"

"She has a Russian Makarov and a revolver," Gwen finds Eddie's expression to be quite comical that it's taking everything not to laugh at this instant.

"Yeah, you both almost shot me with that one," Steve walks up next to her, his voice grumbling as he remembers the first time he actually felt fear. It had been the night when he became introduced to this Upside Down mess, and yeah, it was terrifying, but seeing Gwen shoot the ceiling and then point the gun back at him, certainly made the demogorgon less scary.

She looks down at the ground, chuckling at the memory and even more when realizing how much the time has changed. From never picturing herself dating, let alone loving Steve Harrington, she's come a long way and quite frankly, she's grateful for the Fall of '84 for bringing them together.

"You were incredibly annoying back then, so you almost deserved it," Gwen remarks with a playful smile, earning a teasing eye roll.

Within a quick second, they're both caught completely off guard by Eddie tossing his denim vest at Steve that hits him in the face. "For your modesty, dude."

Steve clenches his jaw, nodding his head more out of annoyance than anything, but begins putting on the vest. Only before he's able to do so, everything around them starts quaking and a loud sound is heard.

Robin and Nancy fall to the ground, but Eddie's able to hold them and shield them from any falling rocks. Steve is quick to grab Gwen and wraps his arms around her, making sure to protect her head as he nuzzles closer to her.

Just as quick as the shaking came, it soon subsided. There was silence for a mere moment, but it was short lived when the sound of snarling creatures resumed. None of them made a single movement, afraid anything would alert whatever monsters are out there to head their way. They glance up at the sky and all around the perimeter, making sure the coast is clear before even attempting to move or say anything.

"So guns seem like a pretty good idea to me," Eddie eventually speaks out.

"Yeah, me too," Robin agrees.

Still being held tightly by Steve, Gwen glances down at his arms and realizes just how tight her grip on him also is. She's hesitant to move from knowing it's bound to cut this moment short, but as if her stare gave off the wrong message, Steve lets go of her but still remains in place.

Hesitantly, she leaves his side and rejoins the rest of the group. She makes sure to discreetly look his way, but finds him already doing the same. Her face starts turning a rosy tint, causing her to divert her attention to her surroundings in hopes of her blushing cheeks not being noticeable.

"So, what are we waiting for?" Eddie impatiently asks.

Steve finishes putting on the vest, but feels something is off. The usual silver chain that contains the ring Gwen gave him is no longer around his neck. He's certain he had it before jumping into the lake, so where could it possibly be? It couldn't have fallen into the water, right?

"Everything okay?" Nancy asks when noticing his sudden hyperventilation.

"My- my ring. I don't have it. Have you seen it?" Steve frantically starts feeling his pockets, looking down to the ground, and retracing his steps back under Skull Rock. No sign of the ring is anywhere and his chest tightens at having lost his most valuable possession.

Robin, taking notice of his best friend's distress, suddenly remembers having managed picking it up at the boat when he had removed his yellow sweater. She removes it from her neck and leaves Eddie's side, her hand opening up to display the beloved silver ring.

"Thank you," Steve exhales in relief, not thinking twice about putting it on and glancing in Gwen's direction. She's standing a little far ahead looking at the forest and he's fairly grateful she didn't witness this frantic ordeal of his. He takes one last deep breath and grabs one of the flashlights as all of them start heading in the direction of the Wheeler residence.

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It's been a while and the group seems to have been walking for an eternity. With the girls leading the way, Steve and Eddie are walking alongside each other in the most uncomfortable silence.

Eventually, Steve figures enough is enough and since they're now tied for life due to this Upside Down mess, trying to be nice won't hurt. "Eddie, hey, man, uh..." he trails off, suddenly finding it harder than expected. "Listen, I just, uh... I just want to say thanks for saving my ass back there."

"Shit. You saved your own ass, man," Eddie tells him with an obvious form of admiration. "I mean, that was a real Ozzy move you pulled back there."

Not having a clue on what he means, Steve can't help but become confused at his comparison, "Ozzy?"

"When you took a bite out of that bat," Eddie tries explaining, but the Harrington boy remains just as confused. "Ozzy Osbourne? Black Sabbath? He bit a bat's head off onstage."

"I don't-" Steve cuts him off, not wanting him to continue explaining something he doesn't have a clue on. Maybe he should try to acquire taste like Gwen told him. He didn't know what Mordor was until she explained it and now he didn't even know about Ozzy Osbourne. Perhaps he should try to look beyond his little bubble of familiarity and expand his horizons.

"You know, it doesn't matter," Eddie decides to give up, continuing to walk alongside him as he begins summarizing it in simpler terms. "It's very metal, what you did. That's all I'm saying."

Unsure of what to say, Steve simply decides to thank him nonetheless, "Umm, thanks."

"Henderson told me you were a badass," he decides to mention him knowing their care for the curly haired teen is something they have in common. "Insisted on the matter, in fact."

"Henderson said that?" Steve's surprised that Dustin's spoken about him. In all honesty, he didn't think he was even important to him anymore. They don't speak as often, hang out like they used to, and Dustin even stopped going to him for advice. Steve hated to admit that he was starting to feel replaced, which is one of the reasons as to why he was disliking Eddie.

"Oh yeah. Shit. Kid worships you, dude. Like, you have no idea. It's kinda annoying, to be honest," Eddie says and Steve chuckles at this new revelation. "I don't even know why I care what that little shrimp thinks, but, uh, guess I got a little jealous, Steve. I guess I couldn't accept the fact that Steve Harrington was actually a good dude. Rich parents, popular, chicks love him. Not a douche? No way, man. No way. That, like, flies in the face of all the laws in the universe and my own personal Munson doctrine. Still super jealous, by the way."

"Right," Steve chuckles.

"Which is why I would never have jumped in that lake to save your ass," Eddie admits, "Not under any, uh... normal circumstances."

A branch snaps from a distance and both of them turn to the sound. Steve shines his flashlight in its direction, but there appears to be nothing stranger than before. Once everything has been checked to be safe, their conversation resumes.

"Nope. Outside D&D, I am no hero," Eddie confides while still remaining attentive to their surroundings. "I see danger and I just turn heel and run. Or at least that's what I've learned about myself this week."

"Give yourself a break, man," Steve tries lighting up the mood, refusing to let him feel terrible for doing what any reasonable person would do. If he's being honest, Steve wishes to have that quality since instead of running away to safety, he heads directly into danger. He knows it's foolish to think of himself as being somehow immortal, and Gwen had always pestered him about it when they were still together. Of course he knows how dangerous his actions are, but he would much rather it'd be him receiving all the hits than anyone he loves.

Dismissing his words, Eddie stops in his tracks while looking at the girls ahead of them, "See? The only reason I came in here was 'cause those ladies came in straight after you. Now, I was too ashamed to be the one who stayed behind."

Steve glances in their direction, but focuses more on Gwen than the others.

"But Henderson right there, she didn't waste a second. Not one second. She just dove right in," Eddie explains when taking notice of how much his attention is rested on her. "Now, I don't know what happened between you two, but based on what I've seen, if I were you, I wouldn't waste any more time. I would do everything to get her back 'cause that was as unambiguous a sign of true love as these cynical eyes have ever seen."

Steve continues staring at Gwen as he listens to Eddie. Could it actually be that she still has feelings for him? She didn't think twice about jumping in and he's certain of having seen the ring he gave her hanging around her neck in that dainty chain. Does that mean she also loves him back?

Even if he had already confessed he still loved her, he doesn't see them harm in telling her again. He needs to and would most definitely follow Eddie's advice because if there's one thing he's learned during these past few days is that life is precarious, and it must be treasured as it's the one thing that's uncertain.

Before he can even say anything, the ground starts shaking again and causes the two of them to lose their balance.

"Goddamn it!"

"Here we go again!" Eddie complains through gritted teeth.

Steve ignores the ground's quaking and looks ahead at the rest of the group. Panic starts setting in when he doesn't see her anywhere, causing him to try rising up and walking in the others' direction to try and find her.

"Gwen!" Robin calls out, "Nancy! Where are you both going?!"

Pushing through the shaking ground and tons of branches scattered all around, he doesn't think twice about running in their direction. The cold wind feels like a ton of bricks hitting him and his injuries hurt even worse with every sprint, but not even with the pain does he care as he just needs to make sure she's safe.

"Gwen!" he calls out, soon finding relief when seeing her standing next to Nancy. Before he can even complain on how she shouldn't run off like that, the thunder flashes and displays a sinister red color. The light provides enough illumination that gives a clearer sight on what they're staring at so attentively.

The Wheeler house stands in the middle of nowhere and if Steve wasn't so worried for his girl, he would crack a joke about how this resembles all those horror movies he was forced into watching.

"Come on," Nancy starts leading the way, causing the four of them to trail after her.

Steve detests how terrified he's becoming. He shouldn't be this afraid when he's supposed to be the strong and brave one. They're all here because of him, so in reality, this mess is happening all due to his incessant need in taking charge. If only he hadn't dove into the lake and taken a long time swimming back. If he had just gotten into the boat, they would all be safe and sound away from this mess. God, he really wishes to turn back time just so he could fix this.

The sound of the door creaking open disrupts his thoughts and along with the others, he's hesitant in entering the house. They don't know what monster could be looming in the shadows and considering Will had to constantly be on the run when he got trapped here, there's no doubt this could happen to them at any moment.

Just as the group enters, they're welcomed by an ominous ambience and dusty home. There's tons of vines resting on the furniture, the walls, the floor, and on the staircase handle. The floorboards creak with every step they take and the atmosphere feels ten times colder than outside, which should be the other way around.

"Might be time to get a maid, Wheeler," Robin sarcastically says as she remains in place in alertness.

"Come on. I don't want to stay here longer than we have to," Nancy starts charging up the stairs and everyone doesn't think twice to follow her, but before entering one of the rooms, Steve stops shortly when hearing something strange.

Noticing his absence, Gwen stops in her tracks and walks to his side, "What is it? Are you okay?"

"Do you hear that?"

She turns quiet and pays attention to the sounds around them. The wind from outside can be heard along with the thunder, but that certainly can't be what he's referring to. She doesn't understand what he means, but not even a few seconds before telling him she doesn't hear anything, that's when starts hearing it.

It's strange and quite frankly sounds unlikely, but her brother's voice can be heard. Almost like he's somewhere around, "Holy shit. I hear Dustin!"

"You hear him too?" Steve smiles, glad he's not going crazy and she's able to hear that annoying teen as well. "He must be here somewhere, but where exactly?"

Both of them run down the staircase and start shining their flashlights all around. There needs to be a way to communicate with him and maybe then, he could help them get out of this terrible place.

"He must be on the normal side of Hawkins. That's why we can hear him," she thinks out loud and he stares at her like she has grown two heads.

"Wait, what?"

"Look, we're at Nancy's house so what if the reason we can hear his voice is because he's at this house as well? But on the normal and safe side. Do you get it?" Gwen can practically see the wheels in his brain running and it's taking everything not to smile at how adorable he looks when concentrating.

He slowly nods, "Do you think he'll be able to hear us then? I mean, if we can, what if he hears our yells?"

Before she can even dismiss his suggestion, Steve's already waving his flashlight at the ceiling and yelling, "Dustin! Dustin!"

"I highly doubt that's going to work," she argues.

"I have to try," he retorts, not sparing her a glance. "I need to get you all out here so I'm going to try everything."

Gwen doesn't say anything and instead walks around him. She starts looking around for anything that seems even stranger as yelling like a lunatic might not be the best plan. As she shines her flashlight at every dark corner, she's unable to prevent her mind from wandering back to 1983 when Will went missing. He found a way to communicate with Joyce through the Christmas lights, so what if they did the same thing? Dustin's a certified genius and he'd be able to get it in a quick second, right?

"Dustin! Can you hear me?! Dustin!" Steve continues yelling, his voice getting a few octaves higher and breathing turning a little heavy. He waves his flashlight all around as he scans the ceiling and waits for any sign that he was heard. "Hello? Hel... Hello?"

"I think I know how to communicate with him," Gwen tells him and instead of stopping like a normal person would, Steve turns around and shines his flashlight directly at her face.

"Hello!"

Squinting her eyes and pushing the light away, she frowns ever so slightly and stares at him with a heavy glare. "Can you not blind me with that thing?"

"What are you doing?" Nancy questions, catching the pair by surprise as they hadn't noticed the others had returned.

"He's here. Henderson. That little shit, he's here. He's like..." he pants uncontrollably, his hands flailing around the room for emphasis. "He's in the walls or something. Just listen."

"Wha- I just told you where he could be. He's not in the walls," Gwen complains, shaking her head in disapproval as it seems what she said entered one ear and came out the other. "I doubt he can hear us since we're literally in another dimension."

"Shh," Steve presses his finger to her lips while his other hand points to the ceiling and walls around them.

It's taking everything not to swat his finger away and start complaining about this, but even she knows it's not the time to start any banters since their lives are quite literally at stake. Instead, she just remains perfectly still and waits for the others to hear her brother's voice. Only as if the universe is playing some kind of joke, there's nothing but silence that definitely raises everyone's concerns in thinking Steve's starting to lose his mind.

"Dustin! Dustin!" he starts yelling out again and leaves their side to resume his pacing. "Dustin! Can you hear me?!"

"I think the rabies are starting to have an effect," Eddie mumbles and Gwen turns to him with a sharp glare, causing him to freeze in his tracks and give her a nervous smile. "Just kidding."

"He's not lying. I heard Dustin as well," Gwen raises her finger at them to indicate that they should be quiet. Even through Steve's frantic screams, they're finally able to hear the teen's muffled voice around them.

"I hear him," Robin's eyes sparkle in delight and she starts maneuvering her way past the group towards the dining area. "Dustin! Dustin!"

"Dustin!" Nancy yells out.

"All right, either this kid can't hear us or he's being a total douchebag," Steve complains.

Standing under the archway with her arms folded, Gwen sighs in aggravation, "That's what I've been trying to say, but you had the nerve to shush me. It's like when Will got trapped here. He mentioned that he could hear us, but we couldn't hear him."

"He found a way," Nancy speaks up once starting to understand what Gwen is trying to say.

"What?"

"Will. He found a way to speak to Joyce through the lights," she walks over to one of the lamps and tries turning it on.

"The switch. Try the switch," Steve suggests while pointing his flashlight and hand at the source.

"It's not working."

Gwen waves her flashlight all around, scanning every corner again just in case she missed something. The light falls upon a chandelier and maybe she's going crazy, but she swears having seen glittering sparkles in it.

Another light hits it and the shimmering particles shine again, "Guys, you seeing this?"

As if some kind of hypnotic trance had been casted, Gwen starts walking toward the chandelier. Her feet appear to be gliding against the flooring and all her mind seems to think about is how pretty this is. Considering the horrible place they're trapped in, this has to be the most bejeweling thing she's seen.

Nancy's the first to place her hand inside and the particles turn a vibrant red. The glitter moves all around with her movements, resulting in the others to fully partake in this odd yet incredible entrancing sight.

"Whoa," Eddie says, his gaze just as equally amazed.

Gwen can't help herself from smiling at this. She's never felt this strange sensation and yes, they might be in the Upside Down, but moving her hand all around the shimmer feels glorious on the skin. "It feels nice."

The chandelier glows like the moon and the shining particles resemble the surrounding stars. It's like the night sky has become trapped in this decorative light and Gwen can't help but become amazed by how something so wrong can look so right.

"It tickles," Steve breathes out.

"It kinda feels good," Robin adds.

Lowering her hand from the source, Nancy asks, "Does anyone know Morse Code?"

"No," Steve, Robin, and Gwen say in unison.

"Wait, does SOS count?" Eddie questions, causing everyone to turn to him. "Is that... is that good?"

__________________

"Come on. Come on," Steve whispers as the group is kneeled next to Nancy's bed as they wait for Dustin to communicate back with them.

They've been waiting for what seems like an eternity and it's only making their patience start to gradually fade. Even if they're certain the kids will figure it out, a lingering part remains concerned that somehow, there'd be no way to contact the other.

"Okay, you guys seeing this?" Dustin's voice suddenly fills the tense room.

Nancy moves her hand over her bed and the particles start shining vibrantly again.

"We're not moving it, but we're gonna unplug it. Stand by," Dustin tells them and the room gets darker again. "Okay, try it now!"

"Okay, um..." Nancy stutters, her mind running a mile from having tons to say, but not knowing how to convey it. Instead, she settles on a simple 'hi.'

"Hi! That worked!"

Everyone lets out a relieved breath, each of them smiling and cheering happily that this plan is actually running in their favor.

Gwen's unable to contain herself from placing her arms around Steve. She holds him in a tight grip and can't prevent her smile from becoming wider. Seems they might actually have a chance in getting out of here safely.

Steve melts upon her touch and returns the hug so gracefully. He nuzzles deeper into her and can feel his face turning a bright red. God, he's really missed this.

"Yes! Yes! Hi!" Eddie exclaims.

Nancy proceeds to write the word, 'Stuck.'

"Yes, yes we are," the group says.

"Uh, you can't get back through Watergate?" Dustin questions, making everyone shake their heads with the exception of a confused Steve.

"What the hell's Watergate?" he grumbles, his eyes wandering to the group to check if anyone's just as clueless as he is.

Robin's eyes narrow pensively as she stares ahead, "Cause it's in water and it's a gate."

"Oh," Steve simply says, internally scolding himself for not getting it sooner.

"That's cute," Eddie comments.

"Those freaking demobats are guarding the gate," Gwen rolls her eyes and runs her hands through her hair. The feeling of their bites and claws still feel fresh on the skin that she can only wonder how Steve's able to handle it.

Nancy nods agreeingly and starts writing out, 'Guarded.'

"Okay. Uh, Watergate's guarded."

"Perfect. Yes, yes, yes!" Steve exclaims, feeling the pride for his kid coursing through him.

"We think we have a theory that can help with that!" Dustin informs them and everyone turns to each other in wonderment considering if he had been right about Lover's Lake being a gate, anything else he says must certainly be correct.

"God, I love my little genius," Gwen mutters and smiles proudly at her brother. She settles that once they get out of the Upside Down, she's never complaining about him ever again.

"We think Watergate isn't the only gate. That there's a gate at every murder site!"

"Does anybody understand what he's talking about?" Nancy questions.

Gwen leans forward, her brows knitting together as she starts comprehending what her brother is saying. Patrick died at Lover's Lake and there's a gate, so if Dustin's theory is right, that means there's one where Fred and Chrissy died as well.

"I think I do, but just ask him to make sure," she says and Nancy nods at her before proceeding to draw a question mark.

"Okay, seriously? How many times do I have to be right on the money before you trust me?"

"Jesus Christ," Steve complains while looking up, "This kid's gotta get his ego in check."

Eddie looks past Nancy towards him, "It's his tone, right?"

Gwen rolls her eyes and rubs her forehead in irritation. If he were here right now, she'd already be calling him out and since this form of communication offers them limited wording, she's only able to draw an angry face at him.

"Wow! I know that's you, Gwen!"

Remembering how they used to taunt each other when they were younger, she starts drawing out as precisely as possible a middle finger next to the angry face.

"Oh screw you! I'm totally getting you back for this!"

Smirking in satisfaction, Gwen leans back from the light and adjusts her brain to focus back on their mission. If there's a gate in every murder site, the closest location would have to be Eddie's trailer.

"How far is your trailer?" she asks him.

"Seven miles," Eddie quickly says, "Why?"

"Dustin said there's a gate at every murder site, and well... you know," she trails off, not wanting to mention Chrissy knowing it's a very sensitive topic for him.

Eddie sinks back and just nods his head, "Oh, right."

"Nancy?" Robin asks, "I know your house here is, like, weirdly, creepily frozen in time and shit-"

"Wait, frozen in time?"

Nancy, remembering Gwen and Steve don't know just yet, gives them a quick rundown of her recent discoveries. "We're stuck on November 6, 1983, the day Will went missing."

Gwen's taken aback by this. She constantly reminisced about that year and before this whole mess happened and Will got taken. They were simpler times and there were no worries of any monsters. She only had to worry about where she and Jonathan would hang out after school or worry about having to babysit the kids. Those were great times, but now that she's looking back on them, she wouldn't go back as it would mean that she would still be hating Steve, and she can't imagine returning to a time where she doesn't love him.

Steve is thinking the same thing. He used to be the king of Hawkins High and had immense popularity. Everyone wanted to be friends with him and every girl wanted to date him. He truly had it all, or at least he thought he did. 1983 had been the year he became introduced to this mess and it had been the time when he became tied to her. He couldn't have it any other way as he can't imagine having to return to a time where they weren't together, let alone hating the other. Even if the circumstances are ten times more challenging now, he wouldn't trade it for anything as through it all, this Upside Down chaos led him to Gwen and he's not about to wreck it like he did last time.

"Didn't you always have bikes regardless if time is frozen?" Robin finishes her sentence and that is more than enough to make everyone rush out the bedroom and down to the garage where all the bikes are stored.

Gwen stands back, unsure on how to tell them that she never learned how to ride a bike. With having to take care of Dustin and their mother, she never had the time that eventually, she got older and thought it'd be ridiculous to learn at a grown age. Besides, she had her car, so it's not like she thought she'd ever need a bike - at least until now.

"What are you doing? Come on," Steve pushes a navy bike towards her and she's barely able to catch it on time. She notices everyone staring at her that it seems unfair to make them wait just because she didn't master a simple skill.

"Umm, this is embarrassing to admit, but I-" she can feel her face burning up and the humiliation pricking at her skin. "I never learned how to ride a bike."

Everyone stares at her with widened eyes. Almost like they're shocked she never learned something as easy as this. She waits for them to say something, to laugh, or even tease her about it, but they remain quiet with their lips pressed together - a clear sign that a fit of laughter is about to come. And just like that, a few seconds later, they start cackling and shaking their heads in disbelief.

"What do you mean you never learned?" Robin questions through choked up laughs.

"I find it hard to believe you drive like a maniac, but can't ride a simple bike," Nancy points out and tries covering her mouth to contain her laughter.

Eddie's the next one to tease her, "You, the girl that Dustin says is such a badass, doesn't know how to ride these two wheels? Come on, female Henderson! Don't tell me that little butthead is wrong."

Gwen shoots him a glare that makes him take a few steps back, "I can beat your ass within the blink of an eye, so watch it."

Steve's hands grip tighter onto the handles that his knuckles start turning white. He tries his best to stop laughing, but seeing that adorable pouty face of hers is unable to make him stop. She's fought a demogorgon, shot a gun, fought demodogs, a flayed, is able to deal with this curse, and riding a bike is what makes her nervous. It sounds quite ironic that the least dangerous thing is what makes her uneasy that it's quite comical.

"Stop laughing at me," she complains and crosses her arms defensively.

"I'm- I'm sorry," Steve walks in her direction with his hands raised in surrender. "When we get out of here, teaching you how to ride a bike is first on my list, okay?"

Still trying to remain annoyed, Gwen just stares at him with a deadpan look. She can't deny that having him teach her brings a level of excitement as it means she gets to spend time with him. "Fine. It's a date."

Date?

Steve's caught off guard by that word, but despite being surprised, he can't help but feel incredibly ecstatic and even more excited for the future. She's calling this a date, which is not something you would say if you're hanging out with a friend. Can it be that his doubts have been wrong and she actually still loves him?

"Yeah, it's a- it's a date," he sits himself on the bike and gestures to her to hop on. She does so and positions her hands on him that sends electricity to course through his veins. It's taking everything not to kiss her right then and there, but he doesn't want it to happen in front of the others, so he settles on just feeling her body against him.

Robin waits until Gwen's looking the other way to send a wink to him. If there's anyone else that was terribly affected by their breakup, it was her. Her two favorite people separated and quite frankly, she felt as if she had been a child of divorce. She didn't understand how two people who clearly love each other could have broken up, so for the past months, she's been praying that some kind of miracle brings them together. Seems this whole Vecna thing might give her something to be grateful for since it seems they're just seconds away from getting back together.

"Alright, let's go," Nancy declares and opens the garage door.

Gwen's really dreading having to go out there. This feels awfully familiar to when she got stuck here back in '83 and had to resort to hiding at Steve's house. She was desperate to find a way out that she didn't think logically before heading out and now, look at what that caused... Barb dying right in front of her eyes. Something feels off about this and even if she has others around her, this lingering feeling at the pit of her stomach is unsettling. Almost like it's warning her that something terrible is about to happen.

As the group pedals towards the trailer park, the demobats' chittering can be heard all around them. She clutches tightly onto Steve's shoulders, remaining on the lookout for any creatures deciding to appear. It's surprisingly calm and just resembles a vacant town that if she didn't know any better, she would just believe this is a ghost town and some kind of natural disaster made everyone leave.

Gwen continues looking around, but instant goosebumps trail down her skin when seeing the Creel House just a short distance away. The thunder flashes a vibrant red and reflects onto it, making it look a million times more ominous and like a haunted house. A swarm of bats are flying all around it, almost like they're guarding it and making sure no stranger dares set foot into the property.

She swallows hard and averts her gaze to anything but the house. Just seeing it evokes a profound sense of terror that she can't even imagine what it would be like to enter. This is something straight out of her nightmares and the worst part about this is that she's certain of hearing the familiar chime from a distance.

No, please no. Not right now.

The clock chiming buzzes in her ears and feels like hot knives are cutting through her skull. Her chest starts tightening and every fiber of her body is hardening like a boulder. This can't be happening right now. Not when they're so close to the trailer park and on the verge of escaping this place. She can't have any of her visions because if she does, then that means Vecna knows they're here.

"Steve," she whispers, her hands curling around his shoulders with even more force. "I hear it."

"What?" he glances up at her and just on her sole expression alone, he's able to understand what she's referring to.

"I hear the clock," Gwen breathes out, her sentence causing him to start pedaling faster until the Creel House is no longer in their line of sight.

"I'm getting you out here. He's not going to hurt you," Steve does a sharp turn, nearly causing the bike to stumble, but like his amazing driving skills, he's also well skilled in bike riding. He overtakes the others and is the first one to reach the trailer park, "We're almost there. Don't worry. Are you still hearing it?"

She shakes her head, feeling incredibly glad the chiming stopped, but it only makes her more uneasy because why would it suddenly stop? Did it have to do with passing by the house? Does Vecna truly know she's here?

"I don't hear it anymore," Gwen lets out a sharp exhale and before Steve is able to stop the bike, she's already hopping off. Eddie's trailer is just a couple feet away and despite not hearing the clock anymore, this terrible sensation is still rummaging her body like a ghost.

The others drop their bikes and start heading toward it, but not before Robin tries lighting up the mood, "That's gotta be a Guinness World Record. Most miles traveled interdimensionally."

"It's good, right?" Steve interlocks his hand with Gwen's as they walk alongside each other. "I mean, you don't hear the clock anymore, so what if it was just the house creating an effect?"

She can't bring herself to say anything. Sure she's glad the sound stopped, but it doesn't make sense why. All of her visions started out the same way. Either with the clock chiming or hearing her name getting called out. Never once did it stop, so why did it happen now?

"I hope you're right," Gwen simply says, rushing her feet inside and dragging him as quickly as possible by her side.

Right as they enter the trailer, the room has become illuminated by a bright sinister red color. The hues paint their faces and adorn them with its sinister tint, making them resemble the look of the red room back in Hawkins High for photography club.

The gate sits on top of them. Tons of vines are surrounding the opening and emitting dust particles to fall on their heads. Even if it might be interesting to look at, Gwen would much rather not have to go through it.

"This is where Chrissy died," Eddie breaks the silence, his gaze never once leaving the sight of the gate. "Like, right where she died."

"I think there's something in there," Robin says, her voice low and nervous.

As if on cue, the shadow of something appears. It starts poking through the gooey substance, bringing all them closer and making them much more attentive.

"What the hell is that?"

The barrier suddenly breaks and everyone jumps back in startlement. What appears to be a wooden stick removes the sticky substance and gets rid of the once red opening. No one dares to make a move. They're all just waiting for some kind of monster to pop up, but an eerie silence remains.

Slowly and cautiously, Steve walks closer to the opening. His posture remains alert and his steps are calculated as the dust particles cascade down his hair and to his shoulders. Gwen follows after him and can hear the others doing the same.

When she stops, she can't believe what her eyes are seeing. Above them is Eddie's trailer, but on the normal side of Hawkins and standing in it is her brother, Max, Lucas, Erica, Daphne, and Natalia smiling and waving at them. She's amazed at how it appears they're hanging from the ceiling, but the laws of gravity are keeping them grounded. Seems naming this dimension the Upside Down was fitting after all.

"Holy shit," she says, a smile tugging at the ends of her lips.

"No way," Steve amazingly adds, his eyes wide in bewilderment and a growing grin on his face.

"Hi there," Dustin greets them, his voice sounding higher than usual.

"Hi," all of them say in unison, still in shock at the sight in front.

"Holy shit, this is trippy."

"Bada-bada-boom!" Dustin exclaims and pumps his fists triumphantly in the air.

"Never thought I'd say this, but it's good to see you, Munson," Natalia sends an awkward wave, one that Eddie returns with a delighted smile on his face.

"Alright, so how do we climb up?" Robin looks around the trailer for anything that can help.

"Building a rope might work, but we need something to soften the landing," Gwen points out and her brother nods agreeingly at her.

"On it, sis," Dustin runs out of frame and all of them scrabble all around the trailer for the needed materials. A few seconds later, Max and Lucas arrive with a mattress and set it down under the gate.

There's large suspicious-looking stains on the bedsheets and Gwen has to look away to stifle a laugh when seeing Eddie's concerned face. He stares at the mattress with a deadpan look, his voice surprisingly calm as he says, "Those stains are, uh... I dunno what those stains are."

"Not quite sure how these physics work," Dustin stands under the gate with a rope made out of tied sheets in hand. "But, uh... here goes nothing." He tosses it up and the rope lands on the Upside Down right in front of the five teenagers, "All right, pull on it! See if it holds!"

Robin turns to her best friend and Steve gestures to her to make the first move. She smiles and pulls hard on it, resulting in the rope remaining perfectly steady. "Guess I'm the guinea pig," she says and begins climbing up.

Gwen stares attentively at her friend, her hope of getting out of her becoming greater once seeing Robin land perfectly safe on the mattress.

Eddie looks at the rest of the group as if expecting any of them to go next. When none of them move, he shrugs lazily and curls his hands around the rope, "All right, I guess I'll go."

Once he made it safely to the other side, Nancy stepped forward and took a deep breath, "Remind me to thank your brother later."

"Will do," Gwen assures her and just like that, Nancy makes it onto the mattress, leaving just her and Steve alone.

Steve turns to her, his expression soft and a flirty smirk on his lips. He hasn't been aware of having been holding her hand this entire time until she looks down at them. "See you on the other side."

She smiles and gently squeezes his hand one last time before letting go, "On the other side."

With a soft smile on his face, Steve glances up at the gate and waits for her to start climbing, but she never does. He turns to the side and when he sees her, his world comes crashing down when seeing her eyes completely white again.

"Gwen!" he exclaims, his hands laying on her shoulders and shaking her lightly to awaken her. "Hey! Hey! Stay with me!"

With everything he did, she still wasn't responding.

"Gwen, please wake up! Come back to me! Gwen!"