Andrea could remember the first portal as if it were yesterday. Twelve-year-old Andrea had her back against the wall and a hand to her mouth as tears slipped down her cheeks. She had been so scared as the room began to glow red and weird slug-like things slithered back into the hole in the wall

And Eleven had sat there panting, until Papa had come in.

The lights turned back on once he had entered and he merely looked at Eleven who breathed heavily, covered in blood, as he continued to get mad at her. Andrea had just sat there. No one said anything to her.

That's what it seemed she always had done during sticky situations. She sat and stared and did not intervene unless she felt necessary. She followed what she was told until she got herself out of the Lab. Taking control of her life that she never actually had control of.

And look where that led her? To a group where only a mere handful of people paid attention to her. Where only a handful of people cared for what she had to say. And where only a handful of people listened to her when she spoke the truth, even if it was not what they wanted to hear. 

Andrea looked at Nancy who was stopped in her tracks. Her eyes moved back and forth in her head. Andrea looked at Steve who was trying to wake her. Andrea just stood in shock.

"Nancy? Nancy, just stay with me okay. Whatever you guys are doing, hurry up!" Steve yelled through the portal.

Andrea slowly walked over to the woman, placing a hand on Nancy's shoulders before Steve could stop her and entering Nancy's mind. Trying to figure out why Nancy was now in his hold when she was not a victim. 

"Andrea?! No! Don't - dammit!" 

Andrea could hear the sound of Steve's voice as Andrea appeared in the Lab. She could tell Nancy was freaked out as she began to run, running to a door that had been sealed shut. She tried to get it open. Pulling down blocks of wood.

"God!" Nancy freaked out as she looked back at Andrea in fear who shook her head softly.

"Don't let him see your fear," Andrea whispered as she walked over to the woman's side, "You aren't going to die."

Sadly.

"Nancy..." Vecna called out for the woman as the lights flickered with every step she took.

Andrea made a face as she looked at him, "Well... please tell me I won't grow to look like that," She tried to joke as she ran a hand through her hair.

"What are you doing?" Vecna then questioned, it seemed he pointed it at both women, "It's not time for you to leave, Nancy."

"And you are not supposed to be here," His voice came through her mind, but not like it did when he was Vecna, it was like Peter again.

Nancy gasped as she continued to tug against the door. Looking at Andrea as if trying to get her to help. For once she needed to listen to Andrea.

"Now that you've seen where I've been..." Nancy exclaimed as she continued to try and get out the door, "I would like very much to show you where I am going..."

He kept getting closer and closer. Nancy got the door open and ran through as Andrea walked in slowly after her. The girl completely backed up as soon as she saw Dr. Brenner, the man who ruined everyone.

"Take a seat, Nancy," came Vecna's distorted voice while Andrea hugged the wall in fear. 

The lights continued to flicker until they shut off. Nancy panted while Andrea stayed firm against the wall until the lights came back on. And when they did, Nancy was held down in the chair that every number knew all too well while the vines held her in place.

"Andrea," Nancy cried as she tried to get out.

Andrea made no motion to move as her chest heaved up and down. Her emotions running high until she calmed down, for some reason she felt an overwhelming sense of safety. She looked near her to see if Peter stood there, but he didn't.

Nancy continued to fight against the vines as they screeched while Vecna appeared, slowly making his way over to Nancy as she started to freak out, he got all up close and personal as she cried, "I... want you to tell Eleven... I want you to tell her everything you see."

Andrea watched as Nancy gasped while she began to scream, "NO!"

"Tell her, everything," Vecna ordered before he released Nancy, and she woke back up.

Andrea however, stayed for a few more moments as she watched Vecna carefully. She was careful, not wanting to have to fight for Max's life yet again yet.

"Why?" Andrea asked simply, "Why Nancy?"

He tilted his head at her before she woke back up. Fucking hell, She groaned in her mind as she looked at Nancy who was panting on the floor while Steve tried to calm her down. Nancy stared straight at Andrea the entire time.

"It's okay. It's okay," Steve repeated as he looked back at Andrea, moving from one woman to the next as he placed a hand on Andrea, "It's okay."

Andrea made a face at his words as she gave a slight nod, "Yeah... okay," Her voice went slightly higher. 

Steve pulled Andrea in for a hug before he looked down at Nancy who sat herself up, "I'm here. You both are here..." 

"Get Wheeler out first, then you, then I'll go," Andrea spoke and gave Steve a firm look upon seeing the expression he held, "It's safer."

"Andrea," Steve mumbled lowly as he looked at her.

Andrea gave him a soft look, "Trust me. Please."

She knew he trusted her. He just wanted to be the one protecting her but she knew that he wouldn't fight against her forever. It took a few minutes before he agreed. 

"Come on, Nancy," Steve helped the Wheeler woman to her feet before watching as she grabbed onto the rope and climbed back out of the Upside Down.

Andrea watched as she climbed out before dropping back down through the portal. Andrea wiped the blood from her nose before she nodded at Steve to go. 

She watched as he hesitated before he grabbed onto the rope. 

Andrea moved closer as she watched him climb out. A small smile resided on her lips as she watched him hit the mattress until she flinched at his groan. She knew that impact with the wounds he had on his sides definitely had to hurt.

"Okay, I'm coming through! None of you look at my bra," Andrea called out knowing that her bra was visible with how much fabric had been ripped from her shirt to help Steve. 

"I'll cover you, babe," Steve called out as Andrea grabbed a grip on the rope.

Andrea jumped and wrapped her legs around the rope before she began to move her hands up as she climbed. The rope rubbed against her hands but not much to hurt. She pushed herself through the portal as her body flipped upside down and her shirt flipped causing one of her hands to let go and try to hold it.

Inevitably causing her to fall on the mattress, "Oh shit," Andrea looked slightly startled.

"That's one way to do it," Eddie joked as he looked down at her, "Nice job, scarface."

"Thanks, freak," Andrea retorted as she sat herself up before adjusting her shirt, "How long were we in there?" 

"Hours," Max responded as she looked down at her, "You were in there for hours."

"Hours? Holy moly," Andrea got off of the mattress as she looked at the others. 

So the group had been in the alternate dimension for longer than any of them had realized. It was now the morning of the 27, and everyone was so tired but had so much to talk about.

Andrea found herself sitting on the ground as she played with her bracelet. Her eyes fell on her tattoo while Nancy's eyes stayed on her. Everyone noticed it, but no one knew what to say about it. For all they knew, a fight could happen right then and there between the women yet again.

"You came into my mind," Nancy spoke shakily.

Andrea slowly lifted her head up as she looked at the woman, "Yeah? So?"

It stayed silent for another few moments as Nancy began to breathe shakily once again. She must be running through everything that Vecna showed her that Andrea did not get to see. Andrea would be lying if she said that she was not curious 

"You..." Nancy went quiet as she looked at the girl, not knowing what else to say causing everyone to look between them.

What were they going to say or do? Nothing because they had absolutely no clue about anything that was going on. Andrea fiddled with her bracelet as Steve sat down beside her, the couch sinking in next to her as Steve's head leaned against her arm.

"You okay?" Steve whispered as he placed a hand on Andrea's leg.

Andrea leaned her head against Steve's as she gave a soft hum, ignoring the look that Nancy held, "I'm okay, I could ask you the same question," Andrea chewed down on her lip. 

And so that was how the night went, everyone, talking and trying to figure out what they needed to do. What they wanted to do. Though, it hadn't gone far due to Nancy being too shakey to talk. Every time she tried she found herself stopping mid-sentence as she stared at Andrea. 

Andrea was getting more and more annoyed with now Nancy stared at her. She absolutely hated it. It made everyone else look at her as if she knew more than she let on. They looked as if they were waiting for her to talk, for her to say something but she never did. What was there for Andrea to say?

So she didn't. She stayed silent for the rest of the time until morning came. 

Everyone sat around the Munson trailer come morning. Nancy getting ready to tell everyone about everything she saw before and after Andrea entered her mind, though, it was one of the first times Andrea had fully entered by herself without being summoned. 

"He showed me..." Nancy's voice was hoarse and fear was evident within her eyes, "Things that haven't happened yet. The most awful things... I saw a dark cloud spreading over Hawkins. Downtown of 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."

Andrea sat on one of the couches as he lay with his head on her lap. Andrea ran her fingers through his hair as she listened closely to Nancy's words. 

"And they were coming into Hawkins. Into our neighborhoods. Our homes... and then he showed me, my mom and Holly. Mike," She was crying, fear, "And they... they were all..." She breathed shakily.

"Okay, but he's just trying to scare you, Nance," Steve spoke softly after a moment, his eyes peering over at the Wheeler woman before looking back at Andrea, "Right? I mean... it's not real."

Steve was clearly trying to keep things going on the bright side. Though, everyone knew that this wasn't going to be a very happy ending. People were dead and Vecna was not going to stop. More people were going to get hurt and die if they didn't stop it.

If they didn't find a way to save Max, if Andrea couldn't fight and win, and if they couldn't save Hawkins... everything was all over. Not just for the town but for the entire world. 

Vecna was not limited to the town line of a small town. 

"Not yet," Nancy whispered out as she looked horrified, "But there... there was something else. He showed me gates. Four gates. Spreading across Hawkins and these gates, they looked like the one outside Eddie's trailer. And this wasn't the Upside Down Hawkins, this was our Hawkins."

So that is what his plan was. He wanted to completely take over all of Hawkins and connect the Upside Down to the real world. Everyone sat in a solemn silence as they listened to Nancy's words.

"Our home," Nancy breathed out in fear, until Max broke the silence.

"Four chimes," Max spoke as she stood in the corner with her arms crossed, "Vecna's clock. It always chimes four times," She began to run through her memories before adding, "Four exactly."

Now the conversation was going somewhere. Falling on the topic of Vecna's clock. The one thing that all of his victims heard, that now Andrea and Nancy had heard. It had always played four chimes before it became distorted and halted. He had been giving everyone the clues from the beginning.

But no one really had picked it up or listened to those who had. 

Nancy paused as she looked down at the floor before back at Max, until her eyes fell on Andrea, "I heard them too."

Everyone looked at one another as shock and fear began to settle within everyone. Though, some were better at hiding it than the others.

"He's been telling us his plan this whole time. Andrea's been telling us this whole time," Max realized as she looked annoyed for not understanding sooner.

"Four kills," Lucas looked at Andrea who nodded.

She now knew what that final card meant. It wasn't just for another death, it was for the complete takeover and the fall. The fall of Hawkins, Indiana, and the fall of the people who lived there. 

But what was the play? If they were going to get this done and over with? Andrea needed to know what cards he played that day because no matter what she pulled he always won and it seemed that he had all of the high house...

"Four gates," Lucas looked over at Max with a look of shock, the two stared at each other before Lucas spoke, "The end of the world."

"Andrea's been right, she's been right all along," Nancy had a few tears fall from her eyes as she placed her head in her hands, "I haven't listened."

"If that's true... he's only one kill away," Dustin looked scared as he looked around at the rest of the group while his hands rested on his hips.

"Oh, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ," Eddie began to panic as he ran his hands over his face, almost crying on spot.

Steve rose from his place on Andrea as he looked at Max, "Try 'em again. Try 'em again!"

Max ran over to the phone as she started to dial the numbers. Max held it up to her ear trying to see what she could hear, but there was nothing.

"Anything?" Dustin and Steve found themselves questioning as they watched the redhead. 

"No, it rang a few times then went busy," Max explained as she hung the phone back up once again. 

"Maybe you punched it in wrong, try again," Steve ordered like a worried mother, needing someone to answer.

"I didn't punch it in wrong," Max sighed as she picked the phone up once again.

"Well, I don't know," Steve retorted as he kept an eye on the teenager.

"I think she knows how to use a phone," Dustin whispered as he looked over at Steve and Andrea.

"Probably," Andrea made a face as she sighed. 

Steve placed a hand on his forehead before he spoke, "I'm just saying, she could've typed it in wrong," Steve spoke as he tried to stay positive in saying that someone would answer. 

The line continued to ring before Max hit the phone, "Same shit."

"How is that possible?" Lucas questioned, clearly worried.

"I told you, Joyce has this telemarketer job. Always on the phone," Dustin spoke as he tried to give them reasons for getting no answer, "Mike won't stop whining about it."

"Yeah, but this phone's been busy for, what, three days now?" Max questioned as she turned back to face the others in the group, "That's not Joyce. No way. Something's wrong." 

"She's right. It can't be just a coincidence. It can't be," Nancy spoke as she began to bounce her leg before she rose to her feet, Andrea felt as if someone was there causing her to turn her head, "Whatever's happening in Lenora is connected to all of this. I'm sure of it," Her voice was full of determination.

"I agree," Andrea spoke as she tilted her head, "I've been saying that shit all along."

"But Vecna can't hurt them. Not if he's dead," Andrea's head immediately snapped in Nancy's direction, "We have to go back in there. Back to the Upside Down."

"Hold the fuck on," Andrea looked shocked, "What?"

"Whoa, no, no, no. What?" Steve immediately began to get out as he shook his head.

"Nope," Eddie seemed completely against this idea as well. 

Going to the Upside Down again? After they had just come out of it the night prior. Nancy was a bit insane if she thought that Andrea trusted to throw her back into the portal to help save the world. Nancy was too emotionally shaken up to do anything, she would get someone killed and that is not what Andrea wanted.

If they were going to win this, Andrea needed Nancy Wheeler to set herself out of this one. She did not need Nancy compromising everyone's safety. After all, she doubted that Nancy would listen to her and follow behind her.

Nancy would never listen to Andrea even after she knew that Andrea had been right all along. That everything Andrea had theorized that they had shut down, everything that Andrea thought, had been confirmed to be true. Nancy would absolutely never admit her faults, until today. In her shakey state she had finally admitted that Andrea had been right.

And Andrea deep down was ecstatic that she had finally been given credit for the facts. Would this help others not doubt her words? No. Would it help them not immediately shut her down? Yes. And that was all Andrea needed.

"I don't think all of us should go back down," Andrea hummed, "Just a few of us."

"How about none of us?!"

Andrea sighed knowing this conversation was going to be a fun one.