Alright, the wait's over. 3x04 is here, posted in Honor of Veronica's birthday - November 24th. Sorry about the cliffhanger and then leaving y'all to wonder what's gonna happen for, like, a straight week (to those of you have just started Ice Queen, consider yourselves lucky lol).

So, in this chapter - we find out whether or not I pulled a "YA author from 2013" and killed off the main character (JK, I obviously didn't. Unless). Billy-boy's about to get sauna-ed, the Scoops Troop takes an elevator to Hell, and Veronica wonders why they all couldn't have just moved to the other side of the country. She's also in denial about a lot of things, but that's not necessarily par from the course. We can definitely blame her inability to actually think logically on the fact, you know, she just crashed into a tree.

As always, I only own my OCs. I hope you enjoy.

I wake up with a sharp gasp, breathing panicked as I roll over. The sun's peeking out through the blinds of my window. I struggle to sit up, only for two large hands to gently lay me back down. "Babe? Hey - slow down."

"Steve?" I blink slowly. His face is blurry for a few moments, but as soon as I see the concern in his warm eyes I sit back up, shoving off his hands. "I was driving, then -"

"Yeah. You crashed." Steve nodded. "Your mom called me last night, said you came home soaking wet. I don't even understand how you managed to walk back after - I drove around this morning to find your car, you really did a number on it. It's at the shop now."

"Oh." I murmur, slowly tilting my head. "Why didn't mom take me to the hospital?"

"We did. Dustin and I went with her, you think I wouldn't come the minute I heard what happened?" Steve narrowed his eyes. "The doctor said you don't have a concussion, you don't even have a scratch. But they might have been -"

"No, I remember now!" I quickly cut him off. A vague memory of bright lights and my mom, Dustin, and Steve fussing over me comes to mind, but it's definitely not clear. "Just tired."

"Are you sure?"

I nod. "Yeah."

"What happened? Was it the rain? You should've just pulled over." Steve scolds me - almost like my mom does, which would've made me laugh if it wasn't for his eyes filling with tears.

"I know, I'm sorry." I whisper, cupping his face and bringing our foreheads together. "One minute I was driving, and the next…" I pause, fear griping my heart.

He's back. I felt - I felt the - I felt him…

"Babe?"

"Sorry, just tired."

Steve nods, just as exhausted as I feel. "Yeah. I'm just so damn glad you're okay."

"Did anyone call my dad? I don't want him and Allison worrying."

"Dustin did. Your mom had to convince them not to drive out, but they feel really guilty."

"They shouldn't, I'm the dumbass who decided to come back in a torrential downpour." I murmur.

"Why didn't you just stay with them?"

I pause, wondering if I should tell him. What if I was wrong? It could be nothing, I could just be lucky. But I'm probably not. In case I am, I don't want to be the girl who cried "Upside Down". Besides, they have the Russians to -

"The Russians! Don't you and Dustin have to -"

"Yeah, we're going to head to Starcourt soon, we just wanted to be here to make sure everything was alright with you." He explains.

I smile before pulling him into a kiss, untangling myself from the sheets so I can kneel and wrap my arms tightly around his neck. "I'm alright. I swear. You and Dustin should head out, Robin'll be pissed if you're late."

"You're more important."

"That's sweet, but I'm alright. I swear." I roll out of bed carefully, pulling on a pair of sleep shorts. "See?" I walk around the bed to grab his hands. "I love you. Get to work."

"Fine. Love you, too." Steve grumbles, standing up. "But the minute you start feeling bad, get your ass to the hospital."

"I will." I promise, then tug him out of my bedroom.

Mom bursts into tears as soon as she sees me, adding onto the guilt I already feel. "Oh, my baby!"

"I'm alright, I'm sorry." I whisper, hugging her, and then my teary-eyed brother. "Sorry, I was being stupid."

"I can stay home today, I'll call out -"

"No, I'm okay. Really. And if I have to, I'll call the Wheelers and have Karen take me to the hospital. But look, I don't have a concussion or any injuries. I might just end up with a cold from, you know, walking home in the storm."

My mom doesn't look happy, but it's enough to have her wipe her eyes, make me promise to call if something's wrong, wipe her eyes, and head out to work. Once it's just Dustin, myself, and Steve, I sigh.

"Did you manage to do any scouting last night?"

Dustin blinks. "Seriously? You almost die, again, and you're thinking about the Russians?"

"Well, yeah, your damn theory's taken over my summer break." I argue, keeping the potential open-gate to myself. "So?"

"Yeah, we did." Dustin sighs. "They were taking some boxes into this room. There's a guard with a gun, but other than that -"

"If either of you decide to take on the guard, I'll kill you." I point at my brother and boyfriend. "You should head out. I'm fine, I'll just take it easy. But please, don't do anything stupid."

"You're one to talk, Roni." Steve grumbles.

With a kiss for my boyfriend and a long hug for Dustin, I send them on their way. Alone in my living room - and with my thoughts - panic rolls through my body.

Because now that it's just me, I can feel it again. The darkness creeping in, the shiver crawling up my spine.

Time for some recon. El. El might be able to see. I dial the number of Hopper's cabin, frowning in concern when it goes unanswered. Joyce doesn't pick up, either. Neither does Jonathan when I call twice more.

Growling in frustration, the next number I dial is the one for the Wheeler house. I wait for five rings, exhaling with relief when I hear Mike's voice on the other end of the line. "Wheeler house, this is Mike."

"Mike! Thank fucking God. It's Veronica."

"Veronica? Oh, Jesus Christ. We need you, now. We've got a -"

"The Upside Down. I know. I feel it." I cut him off, and he chokes on his saliva.

"How… when -"

"Last night. Late. I was driving home, totally wrecked the Falcon -"

"Shit, are you alright?"

"I walked away from it - I barely remember that part, but somehow I made it home last night. I don't have a single scratch, or concussion. Which can only mean I'm incredibly lucky, or -"

"You healed." Mike inhales sharply, the sound conveying understanding. "I just called El and Max. I can't reach Dustin, is he with you?"

"They're headed to Starcourt." I quickly explain. "There's something they… something else happening." Before Mike can ask, I keep talking. "I need, like, twenty minutes then I'll head to your place, okay?"

"Okay. Just, hurry. Will's had three panic attacks already." Mike whispers.

"I will." I hang up, and get to work.

Army crawling under my bed, I grab my duffle. Throwing in my walkie, a first aid kit, a change of clothes and a flashlight, I carelessly pull my Hawkins High gym shorts on over the first pair of underwear my hands touch, a sports bra, and a cropped tee. I barely remember to tie the laces of my gray running shoes before I'm slinging the long strap of my duffle over my shoulder and locking the front door behind me. With my car busted, I unlock my bike and get to pedaling.

It's only a five minute bike ride from my house to the Wheeler's, and I'm smart enough to bypass the front door for the basement entrance. God forbid Karen sees me - she'd drive me to the hospital without waiting for any kind of explanation, calling my mom in a panic. No, thank you. Putting down the kickstand, I leave my bike by the grass as I hurry towards the curtained door.

Knock. Knock-knock-knock. Tap.

The door bursts open, and I'm literally dragged inside the basement as Mike grabs my wrist and tugs. He's quick to close the door, and I yelp when his thin arms wrap tightly around me. "Hey, buddy. Car crash, remember? I'm still a little sore."

"Shit, sorry." He quickly steps back. "Just -"

"I know." I peer over his shoulder at Will, who's sitting criss-cross on the couch, a blanket wrapped around him. I drop my duffle, briefly hugging Lucas on my way to the youngest Byers. As soon as I reach the couch, I maneuver myself so I'm sitting on Will's right. Tugging him so his head rests on my left shoulder, I carefully wrap my arms around him.

"He's back. He's really back, isn't he?"

I nod. "Yeah. I think he is."

"I should have known. I've felt off for days, but -"

"Me, too." I admit. "I just didn't, you know…"

He sniffs. "Why won't he leave us alone?"

"I don't know, Will. I don't know." Lifting my head, my eyes connect with Lucas's worried ones. "How soon until the girls get here?"

"Any minute. They're, uh… not happy with us, at the moment."

"El broke up with me." Mike pouts. "I didn't even do anything!" Lucas nods in agreement while Will scoffs, and I blink.

"Uh, okay. That's rough?" The boy glares at me, and I make a face. "What do you want me to say? We've got bigger issues than your love life right now. Hey, where're Nancy and Jonathan? They should know about this, too."

"Work." Mike huffs, clearly not happy with my lack of support. "I tried radioing Dustin, but he didn't pick up. Should we try biking to Starcourt?"

Before I can admit I'd kept it from Steve and my brother, Karen's voice echoes down the stairs, through the door. "Mike? Max and Jane are here!"

"Okay!" He shouts back, and moments later the two girls come thundering into the basement, their frustration impossible to ignore.

"This better be good, El and I have - Veronica? Jesus, what happened to you, you look wiped." Max hurries towards me, El on her heels. I unwrap my arms from Will and stand up, accepting their worried hugs.

"Whoa, I'm fine -"

"She crashed her car." Lucas announces. I glower in his direction, and he winces. "Sorry. But, uh, she did."

"How? Why? When?" El questions.

"Last night. Will and I felt - hey. Cute outfit. The Gap?" I point to El's blue button-down, the graphics eye-catching and the outfit definitely not something I've ever seen her wear before.

"Yes!" El smiles wide. "I bought this yesterday."

"Right." I nod, remembering our brief interaction at Scoops. "I have a skirt that would work with that, I never wear it anymore -"

"Uh, hello." Mike claps. I jolt, wondering if he's taken lessons in exasperation from my boyfriend. "We have a problem."

"Yeah. Your attitude, you liar." Max glares at the Wheeler boy, who looks like he's gearing up for one of his world-famous rants.

I whistle, and the building argument fades to nothing as the younger teens all look at me. "Look, whatever's going on, it needs to wait. Mike's right. We have a problem." Max and El follow my gaze as I glance down at Will. "We've got a big problem."

3rd Person POV (Steve's)...

Starcourt Mall

9:55 am

"That keycard opens the door, but unfortunately, the Russian with this keycard also has a massive gun. Whatever's in this room, whatever's in those boxes, they really don't want anybody finding it." Dustin says as paces in the back room. Steve eyes Robin and Richard, both of them mulling over their scout's report. Twirling his stupid hat on his hand, the oldest of the teens purses his lips.

Roni better be okay. Maybe I should call the Henderson house and check.

"But there's gotta be a way in." Robin argues, breaking him from his worry.

Steve shakes his head, fixing his hat as he leans forward. "Well, you know… I could just take him out."

"Take who out?" Robin questions.

Steve blinks back, confused as to why she's confused. "Uh, the Russian guard." Robin sits back, nodding with wide - those are her sarcastic eyes, right? - eyes, while Richard makes a noise that sounds suspiciously like a giggle. "What? I sneak up behind him, I know him out, and I take his keycard. It's easy."

"He's a trained soldier, Harrington." Richard very unhelpfully reminds Steve, who sneers at him.

"Did you not hear the part about the massive gun?" Dustin adds.

"Okay, what is with the lack of support?" Steve gripes. "Yes, Dustin, I did. That's why I would be sneaking."

"Ah." The youngest Henderson sighs, arms crossed in judgment. "Well, please tell me this, and be honest. Have you ever actually… won a fight?"

He's never felt more insulted in his life. Steve scoffs. "Okay, that was one time -"

"Twice. Jonathan. Year prior?"

"You lost a fight to Byers?" Richard asks.

Steve glares at him wild-eyed. "You weren't even there, Dick." Richard holds up his hands in surrender as the older teen turns to Dustin. "Listen, that doesn't count."

"Why wouldn't it? Because it looks like he beat the shit out of you."

"It was -"

"You got a fat lip, crooked nose, swollen eye, a lot of blood…"

"If Roni was there, she'll back me up." Steve grumbles.

Dustin grins. "No, she won't. Who do you think told me what happened?" Richard cackles, but to his credit he does look at Steve apologetically. The brunette sits back, completely betrayed.

"Where is Roni, anyway?" Robin grumbles. "The testosterone is killing me."

"Real mature." Richard jokes, moving his leg away in time to avoid being kicked in the shine.

Steve huffs. "Home. She got in a wreck last night. She's alright. Sorry, meant to tell you -" Steve apologizes, catching Robin's wide eyes, having realized he never actually told her what happened.

"Hey." Dustin touches his shoulder. "She's alright. No injuries, remember?"

Steve nods. "Yeah. Yeah, I know."

"She's fine, dude. And she'll call if she isn't, she wouldn't do anything stupid twice in a row. Mom would yell at her." Dustin states, eyes flicking over to Richard. "This isn't like two years ago."

"That just might work." Robin mutters, cutting through the boys' concern. Steve startles as she suddenly shoots up, grabbing Richard by his collar and tugging at the giant.

"Rob, what the -" The blonde begins to ask, only for Robin to drag him towards the counter. Steve and Dustin hurry after her, and the older teen gapes in horror as the girl digs through their tip jar, grabbing every bill that'd been stuffed inside so far.

"Robin! Hey, Robin! What-what are you doing?"

"I need cash." She briefly turns around, Richard staring at Steve and Dustin with equal confusion.

"Well, half of that's mine!" Steve glances around at their customers, but everyone's too absorbed in conversations and ice cream-licking to have noticed the thievery. "Where're you going?"

"To find a way into that room, a safe way. And, in the meantime, sling ice cream, behave, and don't get beat up. I'll be back in a jiff." She salutes. "Richard, come on!"

The blonde groans. "It's my day off, I didn't sign up to be your damn chauffeur!"

His complaints fall on deaf ears, and Steve scoffs as they disappear from sight. Glancing over at Dustin, he doubletakes when he sees the boy licking ice cream from his scooper. Gross, oh, that's nasty. "Dude!" He snatches it back, twirling the metal in his hand. "Come on, man, not my scooper." He exhales. "You sure Roni's alright?"

"Yes!" Dustin insists.

Steve nods, but he can't shake the feeling that something's not quite right.

Veronica's POV

"I didn't think it was anything at first." Will explains, having perched himself up on the table by the TV. "I mean, think I just didn't want to believe it."

I nod, patting his knee from my spot on the couch. "Me, neither."

"The first time I felt it was at Day of the Dead."

"When? What day, I mean." I clarify.

Mike clears his throat, and I shift to look at him. "The night before you and Dustin got back from camp."

I freeze. "Wh-what time was the showing?"

"Like, 8:30." Max answers. "Why?"

"I had a dream." I murmur, closing my eyes. "It was… cold. Someone… something… I heard my name."

"Power went out that night, too." Mike points out.

"And then I felt it again at the field near Nelson farm the next day." Will tells us, his knees bouncing and clasped hands shaking. "Then again yesterday, outside of Castle Byers."

"At least you weren't driving." I grumble. "My car's a fucking wreck now." Lucas snorts. "Shut up, you're not the one who had to explain a totaled car to your mother. Insurance is going to be a bitch. I can't exactly claim 'an interdimensional monster made me crash' can I?"

"What does it feel like?" Max asks, and I glance over at her.

Will sighs. "It's almost like… you know when you drop on a roller coaster?"

"Sure."

"Yeah."

"No." Mike, Max, and El all speak at once.

Will hums. "It's like… everything inside your body is just sinking all at once, but… this is worse. Your body… it goes cold, an-and you can't breathe. At least, that's what it's like for me."

He blinks over at me, as do the rest of the Party. Running a hand through my hair, I huff. "It's a little different for me. I mean, I still feel the cold, but I don't get that sinking feeling. It's more like a Spidey-Sense, you know? I feel danger. Hair sticking up at the back of my neck, goosebumps, a shiver down my spine. I've, I mean we've," I gesture between Will and I, "felt it whenever he was close."

"Whenever who was close?" Max asks, eyebrows furrowed.

"The Mind Flayer." Will responds, and I grab his hand.

"I closed the gate." El insists.

Sending the girl a sad smile, I nod my head. "Yeah. You did. But what if…" I trail off, mind drifting to Starcourt, to the Russians, to… no, but how would the Russians know?

"What if, what?" Lucas interrupts my train of thought.

Clearing my throat, I sniff. "Nothing, I just… look, I'm a little out of it. I did just walk away from a car crash. Any injuries already healed, and that's only ever happened when the gate was open."

"Or maybe he never left?" Will offers.

I pause, mulling it over. Huh. Maybe. The Russians could just be involved with something else, right? There's no way they could possibly know about the gate, not with Owens and the government having covered it up so well. "Is that even possible?"

"It could be." He glances over at me. "If we locked him out here with us."

Before any of us can ask, Will rushes around the basement, grabbing a sheet of paper and a stick of charcoal. We join him at the table, watching with wide eyes as he quickly sketches an all-too familiar figure. "This is him." Will tells the others, El nodding. "But, that day on the field, a part of him attached himself to me." He swiped his hand across the charcoal, smearing the sketch and holding up his dirty hand to the rest of us. "My mom got it out of me… and Eleven closed the gate." Will flipped the page over, blank-side up. "But the part that was still in me, what if it's still in our world?" He pressed his palm to the paper, leaving a print. "In Hawkins."

"I don't understand. The Demodogs died when El closed the gate. If the brain dies, the body dies."

"We can't take any chances. We need to assume the worst." Mike responds. "The Mind Flayer's back."

I glance towards the phone, itching to call Steve and Dustin. There's no way the Russians are just a coincidence, is there? But they might not even find anything, and it's not like they're planning to do something stupid. Robin'll keep them in line, and so will Richard. Dustin's smart enough to call Owens if he has to.

"Yeah." I blink over at Will. "And if he is, he'd want to attach himself to someone again. A new me."

"A new host." Lucas nods.

I flush when the boys glance my way. "Hey, don't look at me, I don't feel possessed."

"How can you tell if someone is a host?" El asks, eyes narrowing.

Something in her eyes tells me she knows just who it might be.

I wrap my arms tightly around myself, eyes glued to Billy as he watches over the swimmers splashing around in the pool. He definitely doesn't look like himself. For one, his usually half-naked body is completely covered, Billy wearing a long-sleeved shirt and covering his legs with a towel as he loosely holds his slushie.

"I don't know, he looks pretty normal to me." Max murmurs as she spies on Billy through the binoculars.

Lucas and I both look at her like she's suddenly grown too heads. "Normal?" I ask.

"How many times have you seen him with a shirt on?" Lucas adds.

I nod. "It's true. He'd never deprive Hawkins' female population of his abs."

Max huffs. "I mean, it's a little weird."

"More than a little." Mike insists. "I mean, you told us you and El found empty bags of ice in the bathtub. The Mind Flayer likes it cold. Plus, everything else -"

Heather screaming for El to help her, the sweet lifeguard missing, only to be found safe and sound at home…

"But he's lounging at the pool, which is, like, the least Mind Flayer thing ever."

"Max, I don't… I don't want to believe it, either." I take her hand and squeeze. "But the quicker we find out, the quicker we can help him and stop the Mind Flayer before anyone else gets hurt."

Will nods. "The Mind Flayer likes to hide. He only used me when he needed me. It's like… like you're dormant. And then, when he needs you, you're activated."

"Okay, so we just wait for him to get activated?" Max asks.

"No. What if he hurts someone?"

"Or kills someone?" Will adds to Mike's concern.

The Wheeler boy nods. "We can't take that chance. We need to find out if he's the host."

I nod. "Right." Doing what I know I should've done earlier, mind finally made up, I grab the walkie packed away in my duffle.

"Whoa, what are you doing?" Mike asks.

"Trying to get in touch with Dustin. We're gonna need backup." He nods at my answer, but when I try to reach my brother, I'm met with radio silence. "Shit. I'm going to go see if I can use the pool's payphone."

"What if Billy sees you?" Will asks. "He's gonna have questions."

I shrug. "He stood me up yesterday morning. I'll just use that."

"Wait, stood you up? Are you cheating on Steve?" Mike stares at me, all disappointed.

I recoil, offended. "Okay, no. Billy's my friend, Steve knows that. Honestly, I'm a little insulted. Exes can still be friends, you know."

"Whatever." Mike scoffs, and I smile at his concern for my boyfriend's wellbeing - I knew the little shit cared. "Lucas, Will, let's go."

"Where are you going?" El calls after them.

"I have an idea. Boys only."

"Seriously?" Max asks, irritated.

He waves her off. "Just trust me on this one!"

The girls roll their eyes as they hurry off, and I sigh. "Alright. I'm going to go call Scoops."

El shakes her head. "No, don't." I blink in confusion. "You once said that… too many cooks in the-in the kitchen -"

"This is different. If Billy's, if he's the host… we're gonna need help."

Max sighs. "But it might draw too much attention. Billy might not hate Steve anymore, but they -"

"Yeah. Aren't friends. And if he sees Steve, he'll wonder why he's here, especially since Steve's refused to set foot at the pool with him working there." I huff. "And it's not like Steve can just run out of work, anyway, Robin would kill him. But Dustin could still -"

"We don't have time to wait for him." Max argues. "Whatever the boys are planning, Mike's in a rush."

With a sigh, I lean forward against the car we'd hidden behind to do our scouting. "Fine. But if this goes sideways -"

"You can say 'I told you so' for the rest of our lives." Max smirks, but she frowns when she gazes at Billy once more. "I really hope it isn't him."

"Me, too. But we saved Will. We can save him, too, if he's the host." I promise.

We better save him.

3rd Person POV (Steve's)...

Starcourt Mall

10:15 pm

Steve's well aware this is a dumb idea, okay? He knows. He even argued that they should wait for Veronica, because when she finds out about what they're about to do, he's dead. Dustin's dead. Robin and Richard will be dead.

She'd kill them with her disappointment alone.

He wanted to call her, alright? He even told Dustin to get on his walkie and try and reach her, only for the little shit to argue that the last thing they needed was her getting involved after wrecking her car, doctor's "okay" of health be damned.

"It's gonna be alright, Steve." Dustin insists from beside him.

"Erica, do you copy?" Robin asks into the walkie, she and Richard on Steve's other side.

"Mhmm, I copy. You nerds in position, or what?"

Robin snickers, Steve rolling his eyes at Erica's sass, wondering how much of it could be blamed on Veronica. "Yeah, we're in position. It's all quiet here, so you've got the green light."

"Green light, roger that. Commencing Operation Child Endangerment."

Richard has to cover his laughter behind both hands, Robin sighing. "Can we maybe not call it that?" Steve nods in agreement.

"See you on the other side. Over and out, nerds." It goes silent on Erica's end, and Steve groans as he runs his hands through his hair as they wait for their vent-crawler to get to the room.

"At least the guard's not there." Richard murmurs, nodding down. "One less thing to worry about."

"Unless they catch us leaving." Robin argues, and Steve shakes his head.

"We should've waited for Roni."

Before anyone can argue, they hear Erica grunt on the other walkie. "Alright, nerds. I'm there."

Steve exhales, Dustin letting out a little cheer as he continues watching the doors with the help of his binoculars.

"Do you-do you see anything?" Robin asks.

"Yeah, I see those boring boxes you're so excited about."

"Any guards?" Richard leans in to ask.

"Negative, Dick." Steve snorts as the large blonde glares at the walkie. Dustin's nickname really caught on.

"Booby traps?"

"If I could see them, they'd be pretty shit traps, wouldn't they?" Erica responded to Robin, Steve blinking rapidly - he could've sworn it was Veronica sassing them, not the ten-year-old girl they bribed with a lifetime supply of Scoops' ice cream.

Until Robin and I quit, Steve thinks with a proud little grin at his own surprising cleverness, or we get fired.

"Thank you for that." Robin snarks back.

Erica yelled on the other side, and there was a clatter and a thud. "I'm in." Seconds later, the doors open. Erica steps through, hands on her hips. "Free ice cream for life!" She calls up, and Steve thanks whoever's listening that there weren't any guards out. Which only makes him wonder if there even is something to worry about, considering the Russians would probably be more concerned about security if something actually was going on. Shit, were they too late? Maybe that's why this was so easy.

He didn't have time to wonder, having to run after the other three quickly so they could join Erica before anything did happen.

Not that it will. Nothing's wrong, Dustin's just dramatic. Yeah. Everything's a-okay.

Veronica's POV

I roll my neck around, completely exhausted. I'm not actually sure how much sleep I got last night, but it clearly wasn't enough. Everyone looks a mixture of bored and anxious, Billy having been in the shower for almost half an hour. So far I haven't felt anything more than the usual amount of tingles, same as Will.

Maybe we're wrong? I guess there's only one way to find out.

"Everyone knows the plan?" Mike asks for the thousandth time.

"Yes. For the last time." Max whispers back harshly, El scowling in annoyance.

I don't even want to know.

The shower shuts off, and we nod at each other. I set up Mike's walkie on the mannequin hidden inside the sauna, making sure the volume's at its highest setting. The others hide off in the darkened corner of the gym and I join them, Mike standing at the ready by the sauna door, my walkie raised to his mouth. The sound of a locker opening echoes in the men's changing room, and I nod at Mike. He kicks the door shut then hurries off to another corner, the clang loud enough for Billy to hear.

"Pool's closed!" He calls.

Eyeing a nearby empty barbell weight, I tiptoe over to it, scrapping the metal against the floor before banging it against a nearby wall, sending an apologetic smile to the others as they wince at the volume.

"Hey!" Billy slams his locker. "Did you hear me? Pool is closed." We hear him bang on the door leading out to the pool, but it doesn't open. It wouldn't, not with me having padlocked it shut while the others kept the back door open for me.

Nodding at Mike again, he smirks back. "Billy." He croons on the walkie.

"Who's there?" We hear the lifeguard ask.

"Billy!" Mike sings.

"Who's there?" Billy sings back loudly, and so begins our twisted little game of "Marco-Polo."

Mike's laughter echoes out of the walkie hidden inside the sauna, and moments later we hear the shower curtains being pulled open. "Billy!" Mike calls again.

"You think this is funny, huh?" Mike laughs again, sounding even more demented.

"Billy. Come and find me." He responds, voice low and raspy.

"I find you, it is your funeral." Billy warns as he walks closer to the gym.

"Come and get me. Come on! Billy!"

When my friend comes around the corner, we all freeze, hoping he doesn't look around and catch sight of us. Thankfully, his focus is solely on finding whoever's taunting him.

"Got you." Billy says as he comes to a stop in front of the sauna door, staring through the small window at our well-disguised decoy. He starts to cackle like a madman, clapping as he walks closer.

"Come and get me, you piece of shit!" At Mike's latest taunt, Billy opens the door with a flourish. His back tenses when he steps inside, having finally realized it's just a mannequin. He lifts it up by the neck. "Hey. Behind you." Mike's voice pours out of the walkie I duct taped to the dummy.

Billy spins around as El steps out of the shadows, standing in front of the sauna. "Hi." Billy tosses the dummy aside. With a nod of her head, she sends the furious Billy flying back, hard enough that he cracks the tile wall before crashing to the ground with a groan. I wince in worry as I run forward with the others, Mike ordering the boys and Max to lock the sauna door before Billy can stand back up and stop them.

Door secured with a thick chain and metal rod, we all move back just as Billy begins pounding on the door. He grunts as he looks out the window, eyes widening as he stills. "Max. Veronica." He murmurs.

The redhead takes my hand, and I nod over at Will. "Do it."

The boy runs over to turn up the heat in the sauna, and my eyes flick back to meet Billy's ocean blue. They're colder than I've ever known them to be, pupils growing larger by breath.

We watch as the steam gets thicker, fogging up the window. I try not to cry as Billy shakes the door, desperate to get out. Please let us be wrong, please let us be wrong, we'll tell him everything, but please -

"Max! Veronica! Let me out of here! Let me out!" He begs. "You kids…" his eyes rove over to Lucas, Mike, and El, "you think this is funny? You kids think this is some kind of sick prank, huh?" He spits on the glass. "You little shits think this is funny?" He glances over at me. "What, Queen V couldn't handle rejection?"

"Billy." I whisper, walking closer and shooing the others away when they try to stop me. "No." I murmur, pressing my hand to the window. He scoffs. "Something's going on, and we think… we think there might be something wrong with you. I'm so sorry, please just -"

"Open the door." He growls back. "Open the door! Open the door! Open the goddamn door!" He screams, all of us jumping in fear. Still, I don't back away.

Billy's shoulders sag, and he collapses to the ground, screaming in pain. Will looks from the temperature to us, nodding. "We're at 220."

When Billy starts to sob, I freeze. There's movement beside me, and I glance up slightly to see Max has joined me. "It's not my fault." We hear him confess. "It's not my fault, I swear. Please, Max, Veronica. I promise you, it's not my fault." We stare down at Billy as he wraps his arms around his knees, curling into himself, terrified. Tears slide down my cheeks. We'll save you, I want to scream. I'll save you.

"What's not your fault, Billy?" Max asks.

"I've done things, Max." Billy puts his hands together like he's about to start praying. "Really… bad things. I didn't mean to. He made me do it." My pulse begins to quicken.

Max exhales shakily. "Who made you do it?" She asks innocently.

"I don't know. It's like a shadow. Like a giant shadow. Please, Max."

"What did he make you do?" I ask shakily.

Billy leans his head on the wooden sauna bench. "It's not my fault, okay? Veronica, please. Please believe me, it's not my fault. I tried to stop him, okay? I did. Please believe me."

"Billy, it's going to be okay. We're going to help you. Just talk to us, okay? I believe you. We'll figure it out, okay?" Max sobs through her words, and while I want to comfort her, something stops me. I feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up, goosebumps rising all over my body. Glancing back at Will, I catch him touching the back of his neck.

"I can feel him. He's activated." Will whispers, and I grab Max's arm, trying to tug her back. She fights my grip.

"Get away from the door." Mike orders. "Max, get away from the door!"

I shove her out of the way just in time, glass spraying everywhere as Billy punches his way through the window, jabbing a shard of tile in our direction. "Let me out, you bitches!" He yells. "I'll fucking gut you!" Billy grunts, managing to grab the metal rod and throw it in our direction. Max and I duck out of the way, Lucas coming around in front of El with his wrist rocket, the girl handing him a thick rock. He fires it at Billy's head, and the impact causes my possessed ex to fall backwards, landing on the ground with a loud groan.

We all pant, coming closer together, El dragging the shocked Max behind her while I hold onto Will. The lights flicker violently as squelching escapes the still-locked sauna. Billy grunts loudly, and I look through the broken window as he roars monstrously, black veins appearing all over his face, down his neck -

He roars again, then rushes towards the door, body slamming it. "He can't get out of there, can he?" Max asks.

"No way." Lucas denies, but I nod.

"He can. He -"

The door goes flying off its hinges, crashing onto the ground. Billy rolls with it, landing on his feet. Bulging black veins cover his entire body, which seems even bigger than usual. Will never looked like that, I think dumbly.

As Billy snarls at us, El lifts her hand and sends a weight flying at him. It slams the possessed lifeguard into the adjacent brick wall. She throws out her other arm to try and keep Billy contained, the force of the weights causing some of the bricks to crumble. I watch in horror as he starts to push back, El screaming.

Damn it, why didn't I bring my bow?

Billy throws the weight back at her, all of us screaming as El barely ducks. With a roar, he advances on her. I leap forward, shoving my body against his in an effort to distract him. He howls in rage, grabbing my arm and twisting. I scream in pain, trying to escape his grip. Billy tugs me close, and for a brief moment his eyes flash ocean blue. Then they're black again, and I'm being thrown into Max and Lucas, arm throbbing.

He grabs El by the back of her hair, then slams his hand onto her neck, squeezing and lifting. She coughs and screams, the lights still flickering. I move to stop him, but Mike's quicker. He grabs the metal rod Billy had tossed aside, whacking him in the back. I hurry forward to catch El, rubbing her back as she struggles to catch her breath. The impact of the blow is enough to knock Billy off his feet, Mike raising it above his head to strike again. "Go to hell, you piece of shit!"

Billy catches it, though standing up and hurrying towards Mike. He doesn't get very far, not with El back on her feet, gently pushing me back. She holds out her hands and screams, slowly lifting Billy into the air. His feet twitch and body strains as moves further from Mike, walking to stand in front of the Wheeler boy. I scramble out of the way, cradling my right arm as Will tugs me into his side. Billy roars back at El, struggling to break free. She throws her arms to the side, and Billy is tossed through another brick wall, rolling on the grass outside the closed pool.

El briefly slides down, Mike catching her as they both sink to the floor. After catching her breath, he helps her back up. She hurries over to me and Max, wrapping her arms around my waist as Max leans against her, crying. We watch in horror as Billy runs towards the woods, disappearing into the darkness.

I glance down at my arm, watching with pursed lips as the bruises fade, though it still aches. Gazing back out the giant hole in the brick wall, I inhale sharply, then sniff.

We're going to save you, Billy. I'm not going to lose another friend.

I won't fail again.

Just to clear things up: Veronica walked away from the crash, like, an hour after it happened. She's in one piece and healed on her walk, which honestly should've been enough to completely convince her about the Upside Down, but shit, I'd be in denial too if I couldn't catch a break from interdimensional monsters.

Alright, hopefully I'll be able to update again soon. I know this one's pretty short, I might come back and add more to it later. Next up: 3x05, with more Steve POV's. It feels so weird not having Veronica be a part of Scoops Troop, but it's nice having her interact with the others since we usually see her with Dustin, Steve, and now Robin. She, Nancy, and Jonathan need their monster-hunting-trio-time, though. Plus, she's no longer in denial. Summer-Veronica is no longer around (much to her chagrin), so she might finally start making smart decisions again.