Andrea's memories were what kept her grounded and even gave her power. She had been taught that since before she could even speak until her teenage years. The more emotion you feel, the better chance you have of being more powerful or achieving something.

The rainbow room looked as calming as ever. Though, it often triggered Andrea's fight or flight responses to see. It was a place of many memories. Memories in which Andrea wished not to remember. 

Her father's appearance slowly changed before he settled in as Peter Ballard. Taking long strides over to her before he sat down in front of her. His white outfit made Andrea want to barf.

"Last chance," Peter spoke as he looked at the girl, "This can all be over. Join me. We can fix this cruel place!"

"And let you kill the people I care for? Haven't I already told you no," Andrea sneered as her hands gripped the edge of the table before she began to pass the cards out, "I'll die before you lay a hand on them."

"You won't," Peter's tone was harsh as he glared at his daughter.

"Who are you to decide?" Andrea remarked as she adjusted herself in her seat, "In that cold fucking heart."

"Mind you, we are not so different," Peter's tone went to one he used when she was a child.

Andrea looked away from him before asking, "Did you know my mother?" She was curious and if she were going to stall, she had to ask different questions.

"Your mother..." He seemed to pause as she brought up the topic, "You got her eyes."

"Who was she," Andrea questioned as she placed her hands on her lap, "Is she alive?"

He seemed to grow distant at that question, taking up more time as Andrea needed him too. This is what she was supposed to do and she hoped to god that her plan was working. That she could protect the people she loved more than anything.

"Evelyn Brenner," Through his dark facade the small glisten of nostalgia went through his eyes, "She lived through her cycle."

"Did you love her? Or was she just part of your motive?" Andrea questioned as she glared.

Andrea tensed up as something in the air changed. Watching as there were barely three numbers sitting in the Rainbow Room while a slightly younger Peter stood watching them with a woman at his side.

Andrea looked across from where she sat to look at her father who simply stared back at her before she whipped her head back around.

Evelyn Brenner was a taller woman, standing at about the same height as Andrea. Vibrant green eyes and skin that was beautifully sun-kissed. 

"Peter," Her voice was smooth to the ears, "Our shift will be over soon. We must switch out with the other orderly's."

"Be patient," He spoke as he looked over at her, holding the same expression but it had a twinge of... longing?

Evelyn let out a small huff of air at his comment as her arms were folded neatly behind her back.

"You always act as if you are the one in charge," Evelyn shot as she eyed Peter, "I've known you since you arrived here all those years ago, nothing has changed."

Andrea's lips pulled into a frown as she watched the memory. Evelyn acted a lot as Andrea did. Hard-headed and refusing to let go of control.

"Need I remind you of what your father does to us?" Peter's voice turned sour as he spoke to the woman.

Andrea flinched as the small flash of memories came through. Peter being dragged away and zapped with some sort of electric stick while Evelyn took the beatings in private. Both had a hellacious life.

"Things will not change, I know that but I'm not letting my life slip away,"  Evelyn was firm with her words before a tap on the door interrupted their talk, "We must go."

And then the scene changed. 

Andrea saw the little baby version of herself. Sitting in the Rainbow room as Peter watched her along with another orderly.

But Evelyn wasn't there...

Andrea watched as the lights flickered and so now they were seeing Evelyn's room. The woman was strapped down with Brenner standing over her.

"If only you had just listened," He was angry as he glared down at her, "This is for your own good."

"Death sounds more friendly that being stuck here," She shot before trying to fight back from the needle, "I won't let you treat her how you did him!"

Andrea flinched as she watched. Having to tear her gaze away as she listened to the woman thrash around and scream to no avail. Brenner had stuck the needle in her and injected her with whatever resided within the thin tube.

"This is the end."

Andrea felt her blood run cold as she turned back. Watching as the woman stopped thrashing around and as her chest stopped moving. Her eyes were now dull and lifeless to the ceiling before the door opened and let Brenner out of the room.

And then Peter entered.

Andrea closed her eyes tightly as she shook her head, "Stop." 

But she still could hear the memory, hear the movements and feel the everlasting feeling of sadness. She wanted this to end. She needed him to remove that memory and put something else there. Andrea did not want to watch this any longer, she refused to.

"I said stop!" Andrea screamed before Peter flew out of his chair.

Andrea breathed heavily as she looked at the man, anger evident in her eyes, "I said, stop."

He didn't say anything. Instead, he just stared at her as he rose to his feet.

"She's dead. I get that," Andrea was trying not to sound upset as she shook her head, "Brenner was a fucking monster. I get that! But that doesn't mean you have to do any of this."

"Brenner is not the reason for all of this," Peter slowly shook his head as he retook his seat.

I can't do this, Andrea did not know how much longer she could make herself last. 

"Join me, let's finish this cruel world," Her father tried to get her to change sides yet again.

Steve flashed through Andrea's mind. Dustin, Mike, Max, Lucas, hell, even Robin and Eddie. She couldn't. She had to protect the people she loved. The people she watched graduate, the people she made friends with from others' work, the people she made friends with over knowing what being an outcast feels like. 

"I can't," Andrea breathed out as she gave a firm shake of her head, "You are going down a path I can't follow." 

"JOIN ME!" His voice became distorted as anger seeped through.

"NEVER!" Andrea screamed as she stood her ground.

And then it was like everything just reset. As if this were some sick recording that played over and over again till something happened or someone changed. Andrea glared at her father as he simply grinned.

"It's your play, Andrea," He looked down at her, almost as if she were still as short as she had been at the age of twelve yet again, just as he had a few nights prior, "Or the final one goes."

"I won't let you hurt her," Andrea shook her head, we're really doing this...

"We'll see about that," Peter's tone said it all, he believed that she would lose. 

Andrea went quiet as her hands fell over the cards, she relied back on the memories as she entered her father's mind to change this.

"Ah, ah, ah. Make your move, my dear, Andrea," The blonde man in the white outfit added yet again, not giving Andrea any time to pause, "Remember what I taught you."

Andrea needed this to work more than anything. It had to work. She had to do this... right?

"Silly little girl," The man shook his head as he sat down, the table in front of them changing into one with many playing cards, "Come on, Seven. It's your play."

But Andrea didn't do anything, only making the lights flicker as blood began to slip down her nose.

"Come on," The man had a dull grin, "Come on, Andrea. Make your move. Make your move. Make your move. Make your move!"

And so Andrea did.

Pulling up her cards before looking at her dad, "You first."

He seemed confused by her words. Slowly moved to place his cards down as they became visible. All of them. 

The Ten, the Joker, the King, the Queen, and the Ace.

Andrea had been right.

Andrea placed her cards down and nearly cried in relief upon seeing she had done it. She held a royal flush as well. Peter's eyes widened as he looked at her.

"Impossible," He rose to his feet as Andrea wiped the blood from her nose with a smirk.

"Tied," Andrea rose to her feet as she looked at him, "You can't touch her."

She wasn't going to let him get to her.

"I can," Peter stalked over to her as he gave her a sinister grin, "You may have tied the game but we have to break. Someone has to win."

Andrea closed her eyes as both tried to go as fast as possible. Her mind settled on Max as she fed from her emotions. It took her a few seconds but she got there.

"Maybe it is good he takes you," The distorted Lucas began to speak as he looked at Max.

"Max!" Andrea yelled catching her attention.

"Maybe it's for the best," Lucas continued to walk forward, trying to get ahold of Max while Andrea tried to hold him back, "In fact..." His breathing became ragged, "I'm glad it's going to be you."

"MAX!" Andrea continued to yell trying to grab her attention, "NOW!"

"You will be the chosen one. The fourth," Andrea could feel that Lucas was fighting against her grasp but she didn't let go, "The final sacrifice before the final play. It's going to be you that breaks the world," His voice became distorted, "Max? Where are you going? Don't be scared."

Andrea moved in front of Max as blood poured down her nose as Lucas made very small steps, "Stay away from me," Max ordered as she looked at the man.

"Max, I thought you said you were ready," The distorted Lucas began to call out as he looked at her, "READY TO DISAPPEAR!" He yelled which sent a wave of pain through Andrea's head.

"I said stay away!" Max moved in front of Andrea, hitting him with some sort of object before grabbing the woman's hand and running.

They ran through the home as Vecna formed behind them. They needed to get out of there as soon as possible, well, not out of there. They needed to distract him and the others needed to hurry so that this could end. Andrea could already feel herself growing tired.

Oh, so... so tired and the worst had yet to come.

Andrea ran through the building trying to hold onto Max while making sure that no one came after them. She needed to keep everyone safe... she couldn't fail them. Not here. Not now.

Andrea felt odd, as if her body were moving when she really wasn't. Quickly realizing it was the others moving into phase three.

Andrea ran down the stairs alongside Max as they tried to open the front door but it became blocked off. The two girls looked at each other before Vecna made his way to the stairs.

"Where are you going, Maxine?" Vecna snarled as he looked down at the two.

Andrea grabbed ahold of her friend, "I would say your moms house but we kinda are already..." Andrea made a face as shepushed Max to move as they ran into yet another room.

The lights began to flicker wildly with every move that they made. 

Andrea made her way around the tables and whatever obstacle lied in their way. Trying to keep herself behind Max so that Vecna would see her first, blocking her friend from view and harm. Max opened another door as she ran around the table as the lights flickered only to find another dead end.

Max began to start to yank at the wooden planks that covered the doorway. Andrea tried to get them to move with her abilities but they didn't. Andrea shook her head at Max knowing that they needed to move quickly and find somewhere else to go.

They ran to another room, going through door after door as they looked at the flickering lights. Andrea looked startled once Max opened a door and a blue metal door appeared. Looking rather out of place.

The Billy's face popped into the square glass frame as he banged against the door, "Max! Let me out of here!" Billy yelled angrily. 

"Fuck," Andrea cussed loudly.

"Max, open the door!" Billy continued to yell and the girls realized the door in front of them was now blocked off. 

"Open the door!" Billy continued to yell as he banged against the door and Andrea brought Max into her arms.

The glass behind them shattered causing Max to jump, the girl holding onto Andrea tighter as she looked startled. Andrea focused and made the allusion die out and become more distorted. 

She pulled Max back as Billy continued to run and beat against the door. Trying to get out as he had not even a year ago. Andrea manipulated Max's perception so that she wasn't seeing this, not wanting her to get upset.

"Let me out! Max! Max!" he screamed as he continued to hit against the door, "Max!" 

"Memories! Max, memories!" Andrea screamed as she tried to get the girl to go into her memories. 

Billy continued to rage while Max went through her mind. Repeatedly yelled the girl's name as he hit the door. The metal clanked and began to break and bend until the door flew at the two. Andrea stopped it as she glared at Billy. She wasn't letting him touch Max.

And then everything went dark before changing again.

Finding themselves in the Snowball. 

"Max?" Andrea asked as she slowly began to let go of the girl.

The softness of the music around them played as they looked around. The Snowball looked as it had when the younger teenagers within the group had first attended it back in December of last year. 

The arrays of blue and silver covered the room. Balloons surrounded the girls as they stood within the middle of the gym floor. Andrea looked around as she tried to see if there were any immediate threats, it seems that Vecna had yet to get here.

"Holy shit," Max breathed out as she looked around, finding this beyond cool as she looked over at Andrea.

"So this is your happy memory?" Andrea questioned as she looked around, "You had me worried there."

"Me?" Max breathed out as she looked at the woman, "You were with him longer than usual. You..."

"What?" Andrea asked softly as she looked at the younger girl, noticing how her expression had fallen.

"You had me worried," Max huffed out as she went back to her cold demeanor, "I thought that something happened to you."

Andrea bit back the urge to smile as she shook her head at Max, "Well, I'm alive and kicking. Slightly in need for a nap though," She held up her fingers, "But we're going to get through this."

"Did you do it?" Max then questioned as she tried to stay close to Andrea, clearly not trusting the memory enough to leave her.

"I did," Andrea nodded her head as she confirmed that she had been successful, "It was hard, but... I managed to get it done. That was mainly what took me so long," She explained as she sighed, wiping the blood from her nose.

This was a lot more stressful than she had thought.

"Nothing is going to go wrong. We're going to follow this according to plan and we all will make it out of this. Remember? We made plans," Andrea looked over at Max as she tried to be positive, "We're going to kick some monster ass and win. Like we always do."

We have to. If we don't, the entire world ends, and then what the hell do I do? Stare at dead bodies? Like, he said Steve wouldn't die but do I really trust him? Hell no. I'd be a fool to trust him, Andrea's thoughts were going wild once more.

"Yeah. I've got a date with Lucas on Friday, we're going to the movies," Max explained as she bit back the urge to smile, watching as they slowly walked out of the circle of balloons.

Andrea's eyes lit up at that, "Really? I'm glad that you two are fixing things. You two made a great couple besides the little disputes. Though, they were kinda funny for everyone else to listen to."

Max rolled her eyes at Andrea as she scoffed, "Your disputes with Steve are what are funny, just... not the one currently happening."

Andrea pursed her lips in a thin line trying to ignore that.

"I know you, Andrea. You're thinking something is going to happen and you or Steve's gonna get hurt and that anger will be the only thing there," Max began to speak as she looked over at the woman as they paused, "You two are going to make up as soon as this is over. He's not really mad, I know."

"Oh hush," Andrea resisted the urge to sigh as she looked over at Max, trying to keep Vecna out as she felt him try to get in, "You really have to call me out there, huh?" She questioned as she shook her head.

"I do," Max nodded, "You two practically raised the group. We all picked up different things from both of you. You two will be fine."

"And so will you," Andrea spoke as she gave the girl a firm look, "I'm going to get you out of here and the others are going to finish this, okay?" 

"I know but you are going to be upset," Max pushed at her arm, "You may be mad and upset but he is your father. I felt the same way about Billy. It's going to hurt..."

"Max," Andrea shook her head not wanting to go there before everything started.