The others were all safe, thank god. Dustin managed to contact Hopper, who confirmed there had been more movement, but their safe house was holding, just like Steve's.

The increase in activity was certainly a concern for Steve, who spent most of the next few days watching and waiting for an attack, despite everyone else insisting he rest. He was sure the moment he closed his eyes, Vecna would strike. Eddie was the only one who could calm him down, speaking in a reassuring voice with warm touches that were Steve's only way to find sleep, even if it was fitful.

Four days passed before Eleven contacted him, and it was a relief to escape into the basement. The darkness of the void felt oddly refreshing, and he was glad to see Eleven already waiting. "Hey, what's new?"

"We need to go inside."

He already knew where and swallowed thickly, managing a nod. "Okay… but how? The town is crawling with those things. Vecna won't make it easy for us to get to the gate."

"Dad has a plan. Can you get here?"

"We can try."

Claudia was not happy when Steve relayed the plan. "You are not going across town! It's madness out there. You could be killed! I don't care if you've got superpowers now. You're not invincible."

Steve shot Dustin a look, and he had the decency to look embarrassed. "Mom! Steve's an adult. You can't stop him or any of them."

"But I can stop you."

Dustin opened and closed his mouth in outrage. Eddie just grinned and ruffled his hair. "Sorry, butthead, looks like you're staying put."

"Can we borrow your car, Claudia?" Steve asked. "I promise I'll get it back to you."

"Never mind the car. You come back in one piece." She hugged him tight. "Stay safe, okay?"

"We will."

After a large meal, Steve sat behind the wheel as Robin got in beside him, Eddie relegated to the back. That didn't stop him from leaning forward into Steve's space to tickle the back of his neck.

Steve slapped him away. "Put your seatbelt on."

"Do you want to crash?!" Robin hissed at him.

"Lighten up, Steve is too lazer focused anyway."

Steve rolled his eyes at Robin. "I'm used to him."

"Exactly."

"Don't be so smug." He glanced in the mirror in time to see Eddie blow him a kiss and couldn't help smiling. "Let's go find out what Hopper has planned."

The last thing he expected to see was a prison bus parked in front of the cabin. It had been fortified so much that he barely recognised the thing.

"Holy shit," Eddie gasped in amazement and patted the hood of the bus. "Look at this beast!"

"Careful, Munson," Hopper warned from the doorway. "If it breaks, I'm sending you in first as bait."

Eddie quickly stepped away.

"Get inside before those damned bats notice you."

Robin shrieked, making them all jump. It became clear what had startled her when Dustin climbed out of the trunk and dusted himself down. "What?" He asked, indifferent to their incredulous looks. "You didn't seriously think I would stay behind, did you?"

"Your mom is going to kill me," Steve sighed, grabbing Dustin and ruffling his hair, smiling when he hissed in protest. "Come on then. Too late to take you back now."

"Yes!"

It was crowded in the cabin. Despite the extensions built on before the attack, it wasn't meant for so many people to share. Nancy had convinced her parents to take Holly out of Hawkins before the quarantine, at least, like Lucas' family, so there were no small children.

Max looked uncomfortable on the couch sandwiched between Jonathan and Argyle but managed to smile at them. She had refused to leave, despite her injuries. If Eddie - who had been dead - was allowed to stay, so was she. Nobody argued.

Steve found a spot on the floor, pleased when he was sandwiched between Robin and Eddie. He liked having them both close. "So what's the plan?"

"You've seen it. We use the bus to get close to the gate so you two can go and find Vecna." Hopper glanced at Eleven and sighed. "I still think you should take protection."

Eleven shook her head. "No. Only me and Steve. We can hide ourselves. Too many people will alert Vecna."

Nobody seemed happy about this part of the plan, even though Steve privately agreed. When Eddie opened his mouth to argue, Steve squeezed his thigh softly. He frowned but said nothing, sending Steve a look that promised a private conversation.

As soon as preparations were underway, Eddie pulled Steve outside. "You sure about this?"

"As sure as anything else we've done."

Eddie didn't look convinced.

"Eds, what choice do we have? You know Eleven and I can protect ourselves. I can't ask you or anyone else to risk yourselves even more by following us into the upside down. Besides..." He hesitated, reaching out to hold Eddie's hands and pressing them between their chests. "…I need you to promise me something."

"What?"

"Promise you won't follow me. No matter what happens, no matter what you think, you can't step one foot in there." Eddie opened his mouth to protest, so Steve hurried on. "Vecna threatened to kill you. He told me so himself. I can't fight him and his visions if I think for even a second it could be the real you. So if you promise you won't come after me, I'll know no matter what he tries, it's not really you."

Eddie considered that, looking down at their joined hands. After a long pause, he nodded and lifted them to kiss Steve's. "Okay. I promise. But you better come back."

"I will."

Their lips met softly, only briefly, because Dustin called from the cabin, "Come on, we're ready to go!"

Eddie sighed, kissing Steve once more. "I hate that kid."

"Later."

"You promise?"

Steve laughed when Eddie waggled his eyebrows, stealing one last kiss. "Yes."

Dustin was back. "Hurry up!"

The bus was crammed with both people and supplies. Steve managed to squeeze in next to Robin, who had saved him a space, leaving Eddie to take an open space beside Argyle. Despite the two not knowing each other well, they got along easily. Steve hoped their friendship would solidify once Vecna was dealt with.

It was a short journey into town, this side clear of rubble, so Joyce had no trouble manoeuvring the bus down the roads. It was only in the town centre that they encountered difficulties. Most of the buildings had collapsed, and as she drove down one crumbling road, it started to crumble under their weight. The suspension gave, and the road fell with an alarming jolt, causing the bus to slide towards a large crater.

"Hold on!" Joyce called, spinning the wheel, and the bus screeched as it was forced to turn at a sharp angle.

Steve snagged Robin by her backpack to stop her tumbling across the aisle, and she quickly clung to him.

The bus titled alarmingly on the crater's edge but then settled back, and they all sighed in relief. Hopper patted Joyce with a smile. "Nice work."

Joyce smiled back and was about to open the doors when something slammed into the side of the bus, making it rock alarmingly. Before anyone could react, it hit again with enough force to send them over the edge. It was all Steve could do to keep hold of Robin as the bus rolled and the whole world spiralled. Something hit him, and Steve released Robin on reflex, falling and hitting the windshield hard.

Groaning, he tried to sit up but froze at the sound of a sharp crack. Joyce's eyes were wide, and she reached out to grab him from where she was still hanging from behind the wheel. "Steve, grab my hand quickly!"

He tried, fingers brushing hers, but the glass shattered, and he fell.

Steve woke up in blinding pain.

He tried to sit up and almost blacked out, inhaling a sharp groan at the sight of the metal rod protruding through his stomach. There were demodogs all around, their screams and chittering mixing with human cries and shouts. Steve pressed a shaking hand to his stomach, dragging himself upright against a half-destroyed wall.

He almost passed out when he touched the rod—the blood. The blood was everywhere, and it was drawing them in. Two demodogs were stalking down the rubble towards him. Mouths opened in twisted flowers dripping red.

"Steve?!"

Eddie's voice echoed from somewhere beyond the monsters who turned their heads in its direction. Steve closed his eyes, ignoring the pounding in his head as he reached out to find the demodogs' sparks and snuffed them out. When he opened his eyes, the demodogs were falling down the rubble, dead.

He went back to his injury, gasping as he wrapped a hand around the rod. Even that slight movement caused indescribable pain.

"Steve!" Eddie could see him now. He could tell from the panic in his voice and the sound of footsteps running towards him.

A new shriek had Steve looking up in panic, his blood running cold. A demogorgan was climbing over a fallen car, shrieking as it set its eyes on Eddie's stumbling form. He hadn't noticed, too preoccupied with making it down to Steve safely. Gritting his teeth, Steve yanked out the rod and choked on the pain, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

He tried to stand but fell to his knees, clutching his bleeding stomach. When he looked up, the demogorgan was almost on top of Eddie, who had finally noticed it and was raising his weapon, ready to fight. Steve did the only thing he could, holding out a hand to throw Eddie back, clear of danger and out of sight. His yell of surprise was drowned out by the demogorgan, which had lost its prey and now turned its sight on Steve.

"Try it!" Steve yelled at the monster, getting up unsteadily. "But you can't have Eddie!"

He did the only thing he could think of, grabbing the metal rod still dripping in blood to throw at the demogorgan, using his powers to make it impale the monster through its head. The shriek cut off, its body going still before it toppled over, dead. Steve breathed heavily, swaying on the spot as his vision swam.

"Steve!"

It was a woman's voice this time, but Steve couldn't tell who. He tried to turn but somehow ended up kneeling again, coughing blood onto the ground. The last thing he registered was a pair of hands grabbing him before the world faded away.

The sound of an explosion jolted Steve back to reality. He sat up, pain lancing through his stomach, and he gasped, almost falling off the table he was on. Robin sat up from the chair she was sleeping in, looking around in confusion before finally seeing Steve was awake. She hurried over to calm him when he tried to stand.

"What happened? Eddie? Where's Eddie?!"

Robin shook her head, tears streaking down her dirt-stained face. "We don't know. We got separated. It's only Joyce and us here."

Steve tried to get up, gasping in pain again. "I gotta- gotta find him, Robs. Please!"

They both looked up as the room shook, dust falling from the ceiling. Joyce hurried into the room, looking dishevelled but unharmed. She pushed Steve back down, checking his stomach. "Stay still, Steve or your wounds will open up again."

"I'll be fine. What about the others?"

Joyce shook her head, looking over at the table. On it were the remains of a shattered radio. "We don't know."

They were trapped and injured. No way to contact the others. No way to know if anyone else survived. And the worst part was he couldn't use his powers. He tried to relax, to get to the void and find Eleven, but he couldn't. He was so scared they were all dead or trapped like they were.

All he could do was wait.