'Couldn't we have tried a road, or something just slightly less creepy?' Robin asked. She'd been close to Belle throughout their walk, and Belle knew she was looking for any moment that she might need her best friend there. When the twisted ankle became too much.

'I think we're getting close. We're almost out of here. Don't worry,' Nancy assured her.

'So,' said Robin as Nancy surged ahead. 'You hugged Eddie.'

Belle groaned, and tentatively put her foot down on the other side of a vine. 'I thought he was dead.'

'You didn't hug Steve.'

'Because he looks like a pin cushion right now,' Belle countered, forcing herself not to look back at him. Even with Eddie's vest on, it was impossible to ignore the bite marks on his abdomen. The blood mixed with dirt that trailed across his skin. 'He'll be all right.'

'I know,' Robin admitted, but Belle knew she was worried about him. She had no idea what else they might have been through before, but she was beginning to re-evaluate everything she knew about him.

'And Mia,' Belle said softly.

Robin looked at her sharply. 'I – I know,' she stuttered, forcing her attention to the floor.

'We're going to stop Vecna,' Belle said, far more certainty behind her voice than she necessarily felt. Because Robin needed it, possibly more than any of them.

'Double date?' Robin asked slyly. She slowly looked up.

'Deal,' Belle said, offering out her pinkie finger.

Robin chuckled softly before extending her own pinkie and shaking.

The moment was shattered as thunder boomed in the distance. Nancy slowed ever so slightly, walking with them once more.

Another earthquake had Belle falling into Robin, who wrapped a protective arm around her.

'Second on my list of least favourite things, earthquakes,' complained Robin as Belle slowly pulled herself away. 'Seriously, I'm unsteady enough as it is.'

'Wait here,' Nancy said, glancing briefly between the two of them before hurrying away.

'Nancy! Where are you going? Nancy!' Robin yelled, moving to follow.

Before them illuminated by the red sky, was a wasteland of pylons, bent over into broken shapes and mixed in with the twisting limbs of trees. But, in the distance amongst them, there seemed to be a lightly coloured house.

'Come on,' called Nancy.

Robin glanced back over her shoulder, and Belle felt the others arriving behind her. With a small smile, she watched as Robin moved towards Steve, needing to check in with her other best friend.

The sooner they got out of the Upside Down, the better.

The Wheeler house was filled with more vines; every surface seemed to be covered with something grey and slimy that Belle really didn't want to think about. It was all too familiar to her, and part of her wanted to head home. Head to her grandmother's house in the hopes that she might just bump into Axel. But if she did, what then?

And how to explain it to the others? It was one thing to admit that he'd been a voice in her head for years. Another entirely to then admit that it turned out he was a real person. And then there were links to the Upside Down. Even with all the madness, even with the mention of a girl with superpowers, Belle wasn't sure she could take the pitying looks.

Or the accusation. Because that was another thing that had bubbled up inside her since they'd arrived. What if Axel was a bigger part of all this than she'd thought? What if the fear, the way he seemed just as worried about Vecna's actions as they were, was all just an act?

'Might be time to get a maid, Wheeler,' Robin joked, pulling Belle's thoughts away from Axel and back to the present. One problem at a time.

'Come on. I don't want to stay here longer than we have to,' Nancy said, hurrying towards the stairs.

'I'm gonna wait here,' Belle said, leaning on the cabinet by the door. Her ankle felt better, but she knew it would be best to keep her weight off it for a little while. If they had to make a swift exit, hobbling wasn't exactly the way she wanted to do it.

'We should stick together,' noted Eddie, hesitating on the stairs, blocking Steve's way. It was a testament to how tired he was that there were no complaints coming from him.

'I'll scream really loudly if anything happens,' she assured him, offering a small smile. 'Really not sure stairs are a good idea.' He lingered a moment longer before following the others.

Steve, however, didn't follow suit. He was distracted by something and shone his light into one of the rooms.

'Steve?' she asked tentatively.

'Clary?' Steve asked, his voice uncertain enough that it forced her to push off from where she was leaning, as he hurried back down the stairs. 'Can you hear that?'

Carefully, Belle made her way to the kitchen where he was. His torch was angled on a single spot.

'Hear what?' Belle asked, wondering if perhaps hearing things was a sign of rabies. She couldn't remember, and she knew better than to worry Robin about the whole thing.

'Henderson.'

'Dustin?' Belle asked, peering at the spot where the light faded. There was nothing there, not even a flicker of something. 'Um, Steve, Dustin's –'

'By the lake, with the others,' Steve said, and she knew that he understood just how crazy he sounded. 'Or, he should be.'

'So what do we do?' Belle asked.

Steve looked to her sharply, and she knew that he was trying to figure out why she hadn't just called him crazy. But then, who was she to call somebody hearing voices crazy?

'Dustin!' he yelled, and Belle just really hoped that this wasn't the bat bites, but rather he could really hear the younger boy. 'Dustin! Dustin!' yelled Steve, moving towards the back of the house. The others hurried down the stairs, and Eddie glanced questioningly towards Belle as they piled into the kitchen. 'Can you hear me? Dustin! Du – Hello? Hel – Hello?'

'Maybe he really does have rabies,' whispered Robin as he spun around in a circle, his torch scanning across the ceiling.

'Hello! Hello?'

'Steve, what are you doing?' asked Nancy with forced calmness.

'Hello!' He turned, the light shining directly into their eyes. 'He's here,' Steve said, walking over to them. 'Henderson. That little shit, he's here. He's like… He's in the walls or something. Just listen. Listen. Dustin. Dustin! Dustin! Dustin! Dustin! Can you hear me?'

'That brings us to the question you first raised.' Belle gasped as she heard the kid's voice. After so long being used to hearing the clearness of Axel's voice, the distortion of Dustin's made her stomach flip. 'How and why is there a gate at Lover's Lake? Let's analyse. What do Eleven and Vecna have in common?'

'Dustin!' they each called, but Belle's attention was on the name that Dustin had said: Eleven.

El was another number.

'All right, either this kid can't hear us or he's being a total douchebag,' complained Steve, forcing Belle to push aside her realisation. Getting out of the Upside Down had to be the priority. She could dwell on Axel's information later.

From the safety of literally anywhere other than the red tinged world of her nightmares.

'Will found a way,' said Nancy.

'What?'

'Will. He found a way to speak to Joyce through the lights.' She hurried towards one of the lamps, flicking the switch several times.

'Lights?' asked Steve.

'Yeah.'

'The switch. Try the switch.'

Belle shared a curious look with Robin, but was glad to see she seemed just as lost about the whole thing.

'Guys,' Steve said, his torch on the main light of the room. 'You seeing this?'

There seemed to be glitter dancing around the light. Belle moved closer, drawn in like the others. Her arm jostled against someone's. Nancy reached a hand into the dust, which seemed to pulse with light as she did so.

'Whoa,' breathed Eddie. In the background, Belle could still hear the din of Dustin's voice, but his words were lost.

They all reached out, but Belle kept her hand back, trying to make sense of exactly what was going on.

'It tickles,' noted Steve almost dreamily.

'It kinda feels good,' said Robin.

'Does anyone know Morse code?' asked Nancy.

'No,' Steve and Robin said, and Belle shook her head.

'Wait, does SOS count?' asked Eddie. 'Is that… is that good?'

'Yes!' said Nancy, something bordering on excitement behind her voice. 'Try it.'

Eddie pushed his hand into the dust, flicking it so that it illuminated more brightly before fading once more, a representation of the code he hoped the others would see.

'It's working,' noted Robin.

Distantly, Belle thought she could hear other voices. There was no real way to tell what Dustin was saying, but his excitement was almost palpable.

'There's got to be a better way,' said Nancy, turning to look around the room. 'Wait... I've got an idea.'

Robin looked at the empty table. 'Want to share?'

'Holly's toy. It lights up. We can write on it or something,' explained Nancy.

'But how do we tell them that?' asked Steve reluctantly.

Silence settled between them for a moment.

'An arrow,' said Belle softly, attention on the lights above them. 'Is it on that table?'

'Last I saw,' Nancy said uncertainly.

Belle frowned, before turning to Eddie. 'Light them up to point that way.'

Eddie hesitated for only a moment before he started touching the lights. Without knowing how it looked from the other side, Belle couldn't be sure it was even working, but she was grateful for the attempt anyway.

'Holly's toy,' Dustin said.

'Got it, Einstein,' praised Robin brightly.

There was a murmuring of more talk, nothing that seemed obvious, and then: 'Nancy's room.'

'Perfect,' noted Nancy. 'Come on.' And then she was off.

Belle hesitated for a moment, her attention on the lights.

'You OK, Cinderella?' Eddie asked softly.

She shook her head clear. 'Yeah, let's just hope this works.'

He offered her a smile before motioning for her to go ahead. She nodded her thanks, then hurried after the others.

Mia took a deep breath as she finally exited the interrogation room. She offered Max a small smile, glad that her father was at least offering to be there just in case, and started down the hallway.

'Woah, woah, what is going on?' she asked as the others hurried out of the living room, Dustin all but colliding with her. She gripped his arms, stopping him from falling back into Lucas.

'They went through,' Dustin said, pulling himself free and hurrying up the stairs. 'Come on!'

'They what?'

'Went through,' said Erica, enough of a condescending tone behind her voice that Mia managed to focus on what it might mean. 'They're in the Upside Down.'

'Shit,' Mia cursed, hurrying up the stairs after them. 'So now –?'

'Now we try communicating with them,' Dustin said. 'Find another way out for them.'

They bundled into a pale room that Mia could only assume was Nancy's. Holly's light up box was dumped on the bed, and Dustin crouched, grabbing a handful of beads. 'And this is going to work?' she asked, hovering by the doorway as the younger kids started putting things in place, making a pattern on the box as a test.

'Maybe,' said Dustin.

'It's worth a shot,' noted Lucas.

'Not doubting that,' Mia said, really hoping Dustin was right.

'OK, that's it. Go, go, go,' said Dustin.

'Yeah, OK,' said Lucas, grabbing the plug and diving for the wall.

'OK, you guys seeing this?' asked Dustin, addressing the space a little above the toy.

The thing lit up, glowing bright enough that it illuminated the others' faces. Mia grinned, listening to the laughter and cheer that it had worked, but her attention went back to the door.

'Keep it down,' she said, peering around the edge. She just hoped everyone was too busy discussing what to try, or talking to Max, to come look in on them.

'We're not moving it, but we're gonna unplug it. Stand by,' came Dustin's echoing voice.

The dust slowly disappeared, and the elation of moments before disappeared in an instant.

'Try it now,' said Dustin.

'OK. Um, uh,' Nancy stuttered, before writing "Hi" in the air. The dust lit up following her finger, like the remnants of a sparkler.

'That worked!'

'Yes! Yes!' exclaimed Eddie. 'Hi!'

'OK, um, um,' said Nancy as Robin giggled softly.

'S. T. U… Stupid? Stupid?' suggested Dustin, his voice still not quite there. 'C. K. Stuck.'

'Yes,' said Steve.

'Yeah, we are,' noted Robin.

'Uh, you can't get back through Watergate?'

'What the hell's Watergate?' asked Steve.

''Cause it's in water and it's a gate,' explained Robin, as if it were obvious.

Steve made a sound of understanding.

'That's cute,' noted Eddie.

'Um, no. It's…' Nancy murmured, before writing "Guarded" in the space.

'OK. Uh, Watergate's guarded.'

'Perfect. Yes. Yes. yes,' said Steve as Eddie offered them a round of applause.

'Er, we think we have a theory that can help with that,' Dustin's voice echoed.

'Genius child,' praised Robin.

'We think Watergate isn't the only gate. That there's a gate at every murder site.'

'Does anybody understand what he's talking about?' asked Nancy.

'No.'

'No idea,' said Steve and Eddie.

'Like the Demogorgon,' Belle said, remembering something Nancy had mentioned earlier during her potted history of Hawkins and the Upside Down.

Nancy drew a question mark, if only so they could make sure they were thinking along the same lines.

'Seriously? How many times do I have to be right on the money before you guys just trust me?'

'Jesus Christ. This kid's gotta get his ego in check,' complained Steve.

'It's his tone. Right?' agreed Eddie.

'I know.'

'Maybe complain when he isn't solving problems for us,' Belle noted softly, shrugging when Steve looked to her sharply.

'Right. OK. So, so how far is your trailer?' asked Nancy, attention on Eddie.

'Seven miles,' he told her with very little hesitation.

'Nancy?' asked Robin. 'Uh, I know your house here is, like, weirdly creepily frozen in time and shit, but haven't you always had bikes?'

Realisation dawned on Nancy's face. 'Four of them.'

'You've got a bike, right?' Eddie asked, turning to Belle as they hastily scrambled up.

'Did you back in '83?' asked Nancy as they hurried down the stairs.

'Nope. I mean, yeah, but we were fixing it then,' she explained.

'Well then, your chariot awaits,' Eddie said, sweeping a bow so that she could go before him.

'Um, thanks,' she said.

Nancy had already snagged a bike, Belle assumed it was her own. Steve had grabbed another. Robin was standing between two of them, a small smile on her face that caused Belle to roll her eyes.

'I'd offer to share,' Robin said, picking one up, her attention on Belle, 'but with my coordination, maybe not the best.'

Eddie grabbed the final bike and shifted forwards so there was space.

Belle didn't hesitate. She ignored the smug look on Robin's face, the slightly milder look on Steve's, before moving behind Eddie and wrapping her arms around his waist.

'Don't crash,' she said softly.

Eddie patted her hands on his stomach before grabbing the handlebars. 'Wouldn't dream of it.'

The whole journey Belle clung to Eddie. It was strange, not being the one controlling the bike, not hearing the low purr of an engine, but she was grateful Eddie didn't seem to be faltering.

So instead, she tried to focus on what was going on around them. Keeping an eye out for bats because the others needed to be focusing on where they were going. For the most part, it seemed like the creatures really had lost them. The vines seemed to be confined to the edges of the roads, meaning there was no tripwire that could alert Vecna to where they were, what they were doing. She just hoped it remained that way.

'It's right here,' Eddie said, pointing out his trailer once they'd navigated the bumpy driveway to the trailer park. He stopped the bike, shifting slightly so Belle could dismount first.

'That's gotta be a Guinness World Record. Most miles travelled interdimensionally,' said Robin.

'Just inhaled a bunch of that crap,' complained Steve, coughing. 'It's stuck in my throat.

Eddie pulled open the door and motioned the others inside. Belle was reminded of the evening she'd come to see him. How much had changed since then? If she'd known it was going to be the last quiet moment they'd get for a while, she might have tried to eke out staying longer.

All attention went to up as soon as they were in the living room.

'Goddamn,' cursed Steve, pointing his torch at the ceiling. The red light was crisscrossed with thin vines, all expanding away from what looked almost like a glowing wound.

'This is where Chrissy died,' said Eddie. 'Like, right where she died.'

Belle's throat constricted, and she rested a hand gently on his back.

'I think there's something in there,' noted Robin, her voice barely covering the squelching noise that seemed to come from the moving vines.

'What the hell is that?' asked Eddie as something pushed its way through the membrane covering the red light.

The fissure burst. The group moved backwards, Eddie dragging Belle with him until they were at the back of the group. A stick poked through, seeming to cut away the thin layer that covered the hole.

Belle pulled away from Eddie, trying to get a better look at what was going on. Membrane fell from the ceiling, and she edged closer, Steve moving beside her and offering a gentle hand on her back.

'No way,' he said, spotting the others. Dustin, Lucas, Max, Mia and Erica were upside down, a stick in the former's hand that had obviously been used to break the seal.

Dustin laughed as they waved. 'Hi there.'

'Hi,' the others said, a nervous laugh behind the single word.

'Holy shit, this is trippy,' noted Robin.

'Bada-bada-boom!' yelled Dustin.

'Mattresses,' said Mia, gently moving the excitable boy aside so she could peer properly at them. Belle noticed that her attention strayed over Steve, then lingered on Robin before scanning the rest of them. 'Or anything soft.'

'My room,' Eddie said. 'End of the hallway. Just... Don't touch anything.'

Lucas and Max were already heading that way. 'Wouldn't dream of it,' Max called sarcastically.

'Those stains are, uh…' said Eddie as the mattresses was brought in and dumped just under the hole; his attention skimmed to Robin, to Belle. 'I dunno what those stains are.'

Belle hummed her disbelief. Everything she was wearing would be going in the hottest wash she could muster when she got in.

The voices of the others were distorted, quiet enough that she couldn't make out anything that was being said. But, a rope of bedsheets tumbled through the hole.

Dustin let go of the rope before looking up at the others. 'All right, pull on it! See if it holds!'

Robin glanced at Steve, who nodded before she pulled it. 'Guess I'm the guinea pig,' she said, before moving to the rope. She pulled herself up, and Belle watched with baited breath as Robin climbed, her stomach squirming at the thought of how wrong it might go. But the other gate had been fine, so surely this one would be, too?

Robin fell as soon as she was clear of the gate, landing on the mattress with a breath of disbelief.

Mia helped her up.

'Belle,' Eddie said, gently pushing her closer to the rope.

'Wait, no, I –'

'Climb the damn rope, Clary,' Steve said as Eddie held it towards her.

Belle knew there was little point complaining. Her ankle didn't hurt any more, in fact she was pretty sure as long as she didn't run in the next hour or so, she'd forget she'd even twisted it. But the others didn't seem to be thinking about it like that, and she was loathed to cause an argument over it. So, she climbed. As soon as she was through the ceiling, her stomach flipped and she landed heavily on the mattress.

Robin's hand was stuck in her face, and she gratefully accepted the help to stand. They shared a small smile before Belle moved to lean on the counter.

Eddie came through next, landing and sitting up almost immediately. 'That was fun,' he said, before accepting Dustin's hand. 'Shit.'

He turned to look back down at the others. Belle moved to join the crowd, knowing that something was happening, but Axel's voice echoed in her head; the pressure of his presence seemed redoubled after so long without it there. She gripped the kitchen counter.

You shouldn't have gone there, Clary. One doesn't like it when people hurt his creatures.