Nancy rushes out to meet them, Steve following close behind, as the rest wait for them to enter Eddie's trailer. She squeezes Mike into a hug.
He pushes her off, laughing, "good to see you too."
Will and El are walking up together just behind, and Argyle began fussing Jonathan to go greet his girlfriend.
Jonathan looks oddly nervous to do so.
"Nancy, hey."
Nancy stares at him, eyes wide and a hesitant smile forming, "guess we're seeing each other over spring break, huh?"
"I guess we are. I've missed you, Nance."
Feelings of warmth and affection bubble up, and she goes to rush Jonathan in a hug second. He spins her, delighted.
Argyle breathes, "true love. Knew it, dude. When someone drives you nuts, they're the one for you, am I right?"
Nancy steps out of the hug, investigating with an agitated face, "drives you nuts? I drive you nuts?"
Jonathan quickly does damage-control, "in a good way! Have I said I love you and I've missed you?"
As her face doesn't lose its frown, he says hesitantly, "and I've been an idiot?"
Nancy sniffs, "hm."
"Guys, we have better things to do than wait around during your lovers' reunion." Steve says, looking between Nancy and Jonathan, face displaying nothing. "Such as, you need to come see this."
Everyone follows, stars blooming bright above them. Steve has the sudden thought that it was mighty convenient for it to be night-time. With a group as big as theirs, walking into a prior murder scene in broad daylight was a definite no-no.
Once they arrive, it takes quick timing for each of them to notice the gaping hole in the ceiling: an open gate to the Upside Down.
"We knew it had to be open!"
Upon the questioning glances from their friends, Mike continues, "we found a light box on your bed, Nancy. Just reminded me about how Joyce contacted Will whilst he was on the other side."
Argle says, "well, was it the Russians?"
Blank gazes stare at him, "oh, I'm Argyle. They ordered food and then we all went on a trip, and not the good kind," he clarifies, "like, it was with a dead body in the car who we then had to bury, and then we had to find this girl with superpowers who went missing, ahem, miss Jane over there, and here I basically am."
Dustin exclaims, "went missing?"
Will speaks, looking toward Mike in a hurried glance, "well, it's been a whole thing, yeah. Also, she has her powers back. Ta da."
El looks sheepish, and then spots a new face in the corner.
"Who are you?" She says directly to him, ignoring the reverberating shock across the room.
('She has her powers back?', 'what, how?', 'could've led with that, by the way,' and a very relieved sigh from Steve who said, 'oh thank God. All we had up our sleeves was the power of friendship and love,' Nancy admonishes him with a careful 'Steve,' and Robin elbows him, giving him raised eyebrows as he rubs his arm with a pout).
Eddie startles as if out of a trance to respond to El, "oh. Frankly, I live here. What are you doing in my house?" He makes a vague horrified sound. "Trespassers!" He points at them.
Steve rolls his eyes, "and that's Eddie. He's just joking you guys. Except he does, uh, actually live here. He witnessed Vecna's first attack here," he says cautiously, glancing at Eddie whose face drops from the pretend display of confidence as the memories surge back.
"He's also a suspected serial killer who we're hiding." Dustin shrugs, unabashed.
Dustin states, as if to clarify, "obviously he's not, though."
"Thanks for that, little man." Eddie, with a tight face, pats him on the back, slightly too hard.
"I mean, at least we have a fighting chance now with your superpowered friend. By the way, they wouldn't stop talking about you, Jane, and how much you've kicked ass. I'm a little jealous. Does no one think I can defeat him? I mean, just get a load of this," he flexes his arms.
Steve chokes indignantly and coughs, motioning the unspoken question away to Dustin as he's given an inquiring look.
Nancy looks to El with a worried face, going right over the obvious elephant in the room being El's hair, or lack of it more like, to ask, "where were you?"
Mike starts as if to speak, but El responds, "Papa, he had me." Everyone seems to exchange very concerned looks at the mention of El's 'Papa', but she quickly gives some more context, "I-I wanted to be there though. To regain my powers. Dr. Owens told me about what they'd seen here. The body."
"Several bodies now." Nancy says, with a troubled face.
"Yeah, and he's targeted Max and Nancy so far too." Dustin says, "we found a way to escape Vecna when he gets into someone's head. Once we cover everyone's bases, I think we'll be more or less ready to face him? Especially with El back," Dustin full-teeth grins at her, and she hesitantly smiles back (the same fissure of anxiety pounding her head, hot, burning worry, an ice-cold chest).
"Then let's get started, shall we?" Eddie claps his hands, gleefully.