I hope you enjoy this edited chapter! As always, I only own my OC.

The smell of burning flesh still fills my nostrils as we retrace our steps on the train tracks. It'll be a tight fit in Steve's car, but he promised to drop me off at the hospital first and see if Hopper and the others are there. If not, the Lab has them. But we had to take care of something, first.

It wasn't like we could just bury the monsters - someone would only find them, and then we'd be in for a world of trouble. So Steve and I put the recently departed into one pile and safely set up a pit. Then the five of us watched them burn down to nothing more than crispy, charred bones. A few slams of some scrap metal later, they were nothing but ash and small bits of unidentified animal nature and weather would dispose of.

I walk behind Steve and next to Max, curiosity clawing at me, needing to know just what she meant when she was talking to Lucas. How does Billy take it out on her? Is he… is he physical? I just… I don't know what's going on, and I hate not knowing. On top of that, there are still goosebumps at the back of my neck, there's still that itching under my skin that comes with danger, danger Will Robinson.

Dustin and Lucas lead us, the former asking more questions about Dart, until he finally asks, "And you're positive that was him?"

Dustin, ever the impatient kid, sighs. "Yes. He had the same exact yellow pattern on his butt."

"It's true, I saw it." I pitch in, backing my brother up.

"He was tiny two days ago." Max comments.

"Well, he's molted three times already." Gross.

"Malted?" Steve asks, and I smile softly.

"Molted."

"Molted, Steven." Dustin and I correct him, but I'm more affectionate about it. Steve turns his head to look back at me, and there's a hint of red in his cheeks visible from our flashlights. Probably just embarrassed he mixed up the word, which really isn't anything to be embarrassed over. Shit like that is a common mistake.

"Shed his skin to make room for growth, like hornworms." Dustin further explains, and I wrinkle my nose. Just because I hunt, doesn't mean I can't get a little grossed out.

"When's he gonna molt again?" Max asks, giving me a nervous look. I flash a smile in return, hoping it conveys some confidence in the situation. I am sort of riding a high here - I killed five monsters on my own, without getting slashed at or bitten or thrown into another wall. And yeah, my hands definitely itch, but it was totally worth it.

Dustin waits a moment before responding. "It's gotta be soon. When he does, he'll be fully grown or close to it. And so will his friends."

"Great. Awesome. Next time, just ask for a dog like the rest of us." I gripe almost good-naturedly at him.

I don't have to see him to know he's rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, and he's gonna eat a lot more than just cats." Aw, shit Steve.

"Wait, a cat?" Lucas stops Dustin in his tracks, forcing the rest of us to stop as well. "Dart ate a cat?!" Lucas demands an answer, shoving at my brother. I push in between Steve and Max to stand between the two boys, leveling the tallest of the friends with a glare.

"No, what? No." Dustin shakes his head, lying horribly.

Well, the truth almost always comes out. "What are you talking about? He ate Mews." Steve reminds my little brother, having not gotten the memo to keep it between the three of us. Look, I'm not saying Dustin should lie to his friends, but I know Lucas really well. He doesn't do well with the truth if it comes from anyone but the person hiding it. And as much as I lo… Steve is pretty blunt when it comes to honesty.

"Mews? Who's Mews?" Max asks.

"Dustin's and Roni's cat."

"My mom's cat." Steve and I answer, though I'm nervously looking between the two boys.

"Steve!"

"I knew it!" Lucas shoves Dustin, so I block my little brother and hold out my hands to keep the Sinclair boy back. He falters a bit but nevertheless glares over my shoulder. "You kept him!" Lucas accuses.

"No! No, no I… he missed me. He wanted to come home.

"Bullshit!" Lucas shouts back, and I'm a little inclined to agree seeing as how Dustin told me the truth.

"I didn't know he was a demogorgon, okay!"

"Oh, so now you admit?"

"Guys, who cares? We have to go!" Max cuts in, and I nod agreement.

"I care!" Lucas yells, and Max jumps a bit. "You put the party in jeopardy! You broke the law!"

"So did you!" Dustin shouts back, before I can diffuse the situation.

"What?"

Dustin spins and points his flashlight in Max's face, throwing her a little off balance. "You told a stranger the truth!"

She scoffs. "A stranger?!"

"Dustin, Lucas, enough!" I order, hands thrusting out and placed on their chests. "Seriously. We have to keep moving!"

"He wanted to tell her, too!" Lucas shouts at me, pointing at my little brother.

"But I didn't, Lucas, okay?"

In the distance, a monster screeches, and my whole body begins to tingle. Or maybe I just stop trying to hold it down and give in.

With a blink, I'm back in the Upside Down. I crouch down and reach for some leaves, and when I pick them up I know I'm not astral projecting. I'm here, and back there, walking in two worlds at once.

I stand up and look around, but as always I'm alone.

My nerves still sing, but I don't feel like I'm in trouble. But someone's in danger. Big danger.

I step off the tracks, walking towards a thick tree line with squiggling vines, all of which slither out of my way like thousands of bewitched snakes.

Creatures skitter around me, moving away the further into the blue woods I get. The tiny white particles responsible for what I'm seeing float around, landing on my skin like tiny melting snowflakes. Or thick dandruff.

Well, I wasn't alone before the switch. So wherever I'm going, someone's following me. I can't hear or see them, but I feel it. Like, the other times, there's been this void in my chest reminding me I was alone.

I keep moving until I reach a clearing on the edge of the woods, overlooking Hawkins. My whole body freezes in anxiety when I see just what was waiting for me.

The Mind Flayer looms above Hawkins Lab, the lights in the building flickering and vines creeping all around it. Monstrous dogs screech louder, the Flayer roaring like the alpha of a wolf pack, calling his betas home. His tear-shaped head is bowed down, focus entirely on the lab. Just like before Thursday, the shadow monster ignores me. I'm not even on his radar, I won't allow myself to be on his radar. Every nerve in my body still tingles and sings out danger, like a canary dying in a toxic mine.

Will said he was one with the Flayer, right? So if the shadow monster is down there…

Sudden hands on my shoulder shock me out of it, and I turn my head to blink up at a relieved Steve. "Jesus, Roni." I let out a breath, and his brows furrow. "You were there, right? Not, uh -"

"Astral projecting." Dustin finishes for him, and I look up at my younger brother. His blue eyes shine with resolve.

"Yes. I was there." I murmur, then look over at a scared Max and very confused Lucas. "The Lab. The Mind Flayer is at the Lab."

I point behind me and the other four focus on the darkened building below. Lucas pulls up his binoculars and Steve bends down to pick up his dropped flashlight. "She was right." Lucas lowers his binoculars. "They were going back home." His head swivels towards me, so sharply I'm afraid he gave himself whiplash. "How did you know? What happened? No more lies."

"I wasn't lying about anything, Lucas." I growl at him.

"A lie of omission is still a lie." He wisely announces, and I roll my eyes.

"I'll tell you on the way. We have to go." I brush past him and start on the trail towards the Lab, flicking my flashlight back on.

"So you've been having these 'now-memories' all year, but thought they were just PTSD episodes?" Lucas asks me as we keep walking, Max standing beside me and occasionally making small noises.

Explaining what's been going on with me to the two younger kids was surprisingly easy. Maybe because Lucas is usually the chillest member of the party, and Max doesn't know me as well as the others do. Telling Jonathan the truth will be hard, so at least I'm getting some "honesty practice" in.

"Yeah."

"Hopper, Joyce, and obviously Will knew about them."

"And the doctors at the Lab." I add without looking at him, concentrating on the dark path ahead.

"But why didn't you tell us?"

"Does my brother know?" They ask, and I look over at Max. We're the same height right now, so it's easy to look into her blue eyes.

I shake my head. "No. He doesn't know about any of this. All he knows is that I was kidnapped, that someone killed my friend, and that I have mandatory therapy."

"Oh." She whispers, tilting her head. "You told him that?"

"Yes."

"Did he… Was he cruel? Rude about it?"

I narrow my eyes in confusion. "No. Why would he have been?"

She shakes her head, but her relaxed smile is anything but genuine. "No reason. I'm glad he was nice about it, though."

"Yeah."

"Or you would have shot him with a whole volley of arrows."

I smile at the awe in her voice, and affectionately hip-check her. "I told you, there's not much to do in Hawkins, so you've gotta get creative."

"You're a badass. The way you took down those things was totally awesome."

I laugh. "Steve told you so."

"You're too cool to be with my stepbrother." She tells me, all serious-like. Then she pales and mutters something under her breath. Before I can ask for any kind of clarification, Lucas regains my attention.

"So why didn't you tell us?" He glares at me accusingly, but his voice is sad. Betrayed. Oh.

I stop walking and instantly pull him into a sisterly hug, arms wrapped around his neck to anchor him. "I thought I was losing my mind, Luke. Constantly. And you guys had gone through a lot, too. It was important to me that my shit stayed my shit. I didn't want to be a burden. You were all doing so well at moving on, I didn't want to be the thing holding you in the past."

"We could have helped you, Huntress. You've always had our back. Always. You have to know we have yours, too."

"I know, I'm sorry."

"Do-does Jonathan know?"

I shake my head. "No. But he will. Even if he hates me after, I'm going to tell him."

"Does he know about Will? What the… What the Mind Flayer did to him?" I don't answer. "Okay."

"None of this is okay." I gently tell him, voice barely a whisper. He nods and we break apart, realizing the other three kept on moving. Steve turns back around occasionally, and when our eyes meet I feel safe.

"No. But it will be."

"When did you get so smart?" I ask him, and he blushes a bit before walking ahead. With an affectionate shake of my head I follow after him, closer to the danger.

Voices ahead stop me in my tracks, so familiar. "Hello?" Our group fumbles a bit, but Steve is the first one to charge ahead. I bring up the rear as we keep moving, arrow notched as a precaution. "Who's there? Who's there?!"

The last to exit the woods and reach the clearing, I falter once more when I see Nancy and Jonathan standing by the closed Hawkin Lab gate. "Jonathan!" I shout, rushing forward.

"Ver?"

"Steve?" Jonathan and Nancy ask in disbelief, but the former still catches me in a warm hug when I reach him.

"Nancy, Jonathan." Steve responds, joined by my brother.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"What are you doing here?" Steve asks his ex in return.

She looks at me, worriedly. "We're looking for Mike and Will."

"What happened to your hands?" Jonathan asks me, holding up one wrapped limb.

"Archery on Thursday. I… I have to tell -"

"They're not in there, are they?" Dustin speaks over me, nodding his head towards the dark Lab.

"We're not sure." Jonathan answers, then looks at me in confusion. "What's going on?"

"Monsters. Johnny, Nance, they're back. And… I figured it out. What I could do."

She gasps and rushes over to me, hands on my elbows. "Your visions. You figured out your visions?"

"Now-memories. Will said they were -"

"What the hell are you two talking about?" Jonathan asks me, and I pale a bit. "Ver, what's going on? Where's my brother? Where's my mom and Mike?"

"I…" I trail off, head snapping in the direction of the Lab. Danger, Danger, Danger. Run, Run, Run. "The-they're in there. I know it."

"How -" Loud screeching cuts him off. After a few moments of listening to the monsters, two hands turn me around and I'm forced to look into scared and angry brown eyes. "Veronica. What is going on?" Jonathan shakes me a bit, and I feel like my body's in shock. "What didn't you tell me?"

"Lay off her, man!" Steve shouts, attempting to pry me away from my other brother.

"What's going on?!" Jonathan screams in my face.

"I-I… I'm sorry." I whisper, all my fears of being a disappointment coming to fruition. Jonathan stares at me blankly, like he doesn't even know what he's looking at. "I… I wanted to tell you. B-but your mom… I shouldn't have listened to her. And I… I didn't know how to tell you. I didn't know where you were, when I learned wh-what was actually happening."

"Veronica, what are you talking about?"

"An-and he has him. Bu-but he didn't want me. I wish he want-wanted me. Then he-he'd be sa-safe. Should have, I should have..." My whole body is vibrating with fear and guilt.

I deserve this, though. Whatever happens, I deserve it.

"Liar. Liar. Liar." I mumble, feeling like I'm in a free fall.

"Who's a liar?" Jonathan asks, still shaking me with tears of desperation in his eyes.

"That's enough!" Nancy shouts, and her soft hands pull me into her. We twist so my back is to my best friend. "Now isn't the time. We have to get in there!"

"I'm on it!" Dustin calls back, and I hear him moving. A second pair of footsteps join him, and I look up to see Jonathan following him.

I breathe out a sigh of relief before my gaze returns to Nancy. "You guys… Did you do it?"

She blushes. "Yeah, it was good. He's, uh… Was that his first time? 'Cause it was -"

"His first time exposing a secret government program?" I ask, eyebrow raised in confusion. She blinks down at me, then blushes harder. My eyes narrow, then I start to laugh. It's hysterical, of course, because I have no control over my emotions right now. "Oh my God, no way!"

Nancy groans and looks away, gently stroking my back to remind me to take deep breaths. I concentrate on how happy she looks, how sure she is despite the situation. There's a calmness to her I'd only really seen last year on the Byers couch, when Jonathan was wrapping her hand.

I look over at Steve, expecting him to be focused on his ex. Heartbroken.

But he's just looking at me, big eyes worried. Occasionally they flick over my shoulder at the security booth. I can hear my brother and Jonathan in there, arguing loudly. Steve's eyes are full of anger every time he glances their way, and I bite my lip.

Nancy keeps stroking my back, and picks up my left hand to look over the gauze. It's totally unsanitary now - monster goo has dried in gross green-black patches, and a little red has slipped through since my blisters didn't heal before I went all "Robin Hood" on those creatures. "We have to clean this as soon as possible." She mutters in a distracted tone. I just nod, then jump when we're flooded with lights. I turn and look up at the Lab, the power back on. A second later I'm pulled by Nancy to the booth, the rest of our group chasing after us.

Jonathan keeps slamming on the button, but nothing happens. "Let me try." My brother demands, shoving the older male out of the way.

"Hang on -"

"Let me try, Jonathan!" I snort when Dustin manages to completely push Jonathan away from the controls, then shift my weight anxiously. No matter how hard he presses, the gate still won't open, and even without my Spidey-Senses tingling I know something bad is going down in the Lab. "Son of a bitch, you know what -"

"D, the power just turned back on. That means the system's still reboot-"

"Veronica, we need to get in there!" Jonathan yells at me, and I jump at the volume.

With a click and a groan, the gate starts to slide open. "Hey, I got it!" Dustin cheers, laughing a bit. "I got it!"

I don't wait for anyone. I don't wait to make a plan or fucking vote.

I run. The minute the gap in the gate is wide enough I've taken off, subconsciously tossing my pack in Steve's direction.

"Ver, wait!"

"Leia, what the hell!"

"RONI! Shit!" Jonathan, Dustin, and Steve shout behind me, but I just speed up, feet pounding on the hard concrete as I tear off towards the Lab.

The closer I get, the louder the screeching, until I finally reach the closest entrance - the one with the driveway. In the near distance I can hear a car roaring towards us.

Jonathan and Nancy, probably.

It doesn't matter. Mike's outside, standing behind Hopper who's carrying an unconscious Will over his shoulder.

"Hooligan, what -" Hopper's interrupted by Joyce's fearful scream. I dash around him with an arrow notched, entering the Lab just in time to see a monster digging its claws into a screaming Bob, flowerhead open.

"Hey, you ugly freak!" I shout, and the head turns to me. "Chew on this!" The arrow flies true, straight down the throat of the beast. It makes these awful gagging noises as it rolls off the bleeding man. I dive towards Bob, ready to pull him to safety when three more beasts rush in, pouncing on the man before I can reach him. I scream and stagger, fumbling for an arrow and shooting it into the nearest one. It's too fast, though, ducking its head as it raises its claw. I aim for another, and another, but my hands are shaking too much and the nausea hits me like a freight train.

As I notch one more arrow, one strong arm lifts me around the middle. I scream with rage, nearly drowned out by Bob's shouts of pain. Tears are rolling down my cheeks as Joyce's own sobs tear through the night, the cool fall breeze sending shivers down my body as Hopper shoves the lab door closed, his free arm tugging at Mrs. Byers as she screams for Bob.

"He's gone! He's gone!" Hopper yells, and a horn honks behind us.

Through wet eyes I see Jonathan leaning out of his car's window. "Come on! Get in!" He orders, and I almost laugh at how Terminator it sounds.

Hopper releases me in favor of lifting Will back over his shoulder, relieving Mike of that duty. The youngest Wheeler chases after them, jumping in the backseat of the car with Joyce and the knocked-out kid.

There's no more room in the car, though, so Hopper practically lifts me in a dash to his own vehicle, sliding me onto the front bench before slamming the driver door, turning the engine on, and following Jonathan away from the lab and the shrieking hellhounds.

"Veronica, count down from 10, count down from 10!" He yells at me, and it takes a couple of gasps to zero in on how anxious my breathing is. How faded the already dark night is getting.

Can't breathe, can't breathe, can't breathe.

"Hooligan, I need you to breathe!"

Can't breathe, can't breathe, can't breathe.

Someone honks, but it's like I'm hearing it under water. Like I'm in a pool, holding my breath for as long as I can.

Barbara died in a pool. She was probably killed like Bob.

Dead, dead, dead.

Hands are pawing at my face and body, pulling me closer to the passenger door. I try to shake and shove the weight off, but nothing works. The hands are too strong.

The yelling seems to get louder - it's still muffled, but there's more of it.

Hands pull my face up, and suddenly I'm looking into a pair of very scared hazel eyes. Hazel, kind of like a forest, with brown tree trunks and green leaves.

Home. Home, home, home.

"Steve." I breathe out, and the older teen nods.

"Yeah, it's me, princess. It's me. You're okay, you're okay. We need you to breathe, though."

"Can't." I gasp, feeling like I'm choking. Like I swallowed an arrow. Like the first beast that tore into Bob.

Dead, dead, dead.

"Hey, hey, Roni. You're going to be okay. Take a deep breath."

"Can't -"

"You can. Okay. I'll breathe with you." He breaths in through his nose, sharp and loud. I mimic him as best I can, but it comes out shaky. "Again, Roni." I nod and do as he says, releasing the air after a few seconds.

I don't know how long I breathe like that for, but once my nerves have calmed and the goosebumps have settled under my skin it's like the world exists again. "I'm fine. I'm okay. I'm good."

He nods with me and settles back, removing his hands from my face. I turn in my seat to see three kids staring back at me with wide eyes. Dustin leaps forward in his seat, and arms are wrapped around my neck. "Oh my God, why would you run off like that?"

I don't answer him, I just hug him back. It's an awkward position, but it grounds me. Still, my ears are filled with screams and my vision is painted red with blood.

I feel just as helpless as I did last year, when I tried to save Barb, when she was tugged out of my hold. I failed, again. I keep failing.

Why do I keep failing?

Back at the Byers house, the air is thick with tension. Joyce has holed herself in her room, Will is still unconscious, laid out on the couch with a cover drawn over him for some warmth. Hopper's been on the phone for nearly twenty minutes, calling every government number he knows. The kids are in the kitchen, sitting at the table and watching the Chief of Police tear into whoever's on the phone.

Jonathan's crouched by Will, running his hand through brown locks and whispering softly to his little brother. Nancy stands behind him, a comforting hand on his shoulder. Steve is watching them, occasionally pacing back and forth, always stopping in front of me and nonverbally checking in.

Finally Hopper hangs up, slamming the phone back in its cradle. I wince at the noise, grimacing more when I remember his haunting words, that he has no idea how many are still alive in the Lab, or what Dr. Owens' status is.

The Doc's still a government agent, but… he did help me. Even though he was studying me, he did help.

"They didn't believe you, did they?" My brother asks, and I turn my head towards the kitchen to look at him. Steve stops pacing and stands just behind me, a gentle hand wrapping around my left shoulder.

"We'll see."

"So 'no'." I whisper, and Steve squeezes a little tighter, the only person who heard me.

"'We'll see'? We can't just sit here while those things are loose!" Mike shouts, and I nod in agreement.

"We stay here, and we wait for help." Hopper responds, voice strong and authoritative.

He walks away, briefly stopping to give me a comforting smile. I try to smile back, but all I see is him in the tunnels, surrounded by vines, alone because he had to go play hero.

Just like I did, at the Lab.

He keeps on walking in the direction of Joyce's room, and I let out another shaky breath.

"You okay?" Steve asks.

"Yes."

"Liar." He nudges at me, a soft smile on his face. I return the gesture.

"Veronica." I turn in the direction of the voice, paling a bit when I see Jonathan standing up, staring at me with a blank face. Still, even from here I can see his brown eyes are a mix of sad, terrified, and angry. He storms towards me, Nancy barely missing him as she attempts to grab his arms.

With a gasp I'm suddenly pressed against a wall in the living room, Steve reaching towards me but blocked by Jonathan's lithe body. His hands are on my shoulders, shoving me back, but I don't move.

"What didn't you tell me? What do you know?" I bite my lip. "Answer me!"

"Back off, man!" Dustin shouts, and I turn my head to see the four kids rushing towards us, Max's face conveying the most fear despite how little I really know her.

"No! No more lies, no more secrets! No more hiding shit from me!" Jonathan orders, glaring down at me.

I nod. "You're right. Okay? You're right. No more lies, no more secrets."

"Good. Now start. Talking."

"A-after I got back from the Upside Down, I was… I was different. Changed. But, not just from the trauma. I…" I trail off and stare at Nancy, her big blue eyes blinking away tears. "The air there. It's… it's not right. It's toxic, but also… it's got particles that come from the creatures there. I… If I was only there for a few hours, I would've been okay. But I was there for four days." Jonathan's eyes widen as he keeps staring down at me. "And I guess I showed enough… enough fight. Or something. Because the particles… they chose me. My DNA changed because of it, mutating me into someone who's a part of the Upside Down without having to be there. But it's weird. I can't feel their pain. Or what they feel. I still don't really know how it works exactly, and I don't think I ever will. I'm, I'm learning as I go."

"How long has this been going on? What does it have to do with Will?" Jonathan demands.

"Let go of her, man, can't you see she's scared enough as it is?" Steve orders, tugging at the other teen's hands.

"She should be scared! People are dead and something happened to Will, and she knows about it!"

"So do I!" Mike screams at the older male, whose head turns sharply at the declaration. "It was the Mind Flayer, okay! He's inside Will! It's not Veronica's fault, none of this is her fault, so get away from her!"

"It doesn't matter who's fault it is!" Jonathan roars back, his focus on me once more. "This is about you keeping shit to yourself for months, and not telling me!" He glares harder. "What else have you been hiding?"

"I can see the Upside Down. I keep seeing it. I can astral project myself, or sometimes I'm physically there, walking in both worlds." I whisper, voice shaky as I explain. "I… at first, I thought they were PTSD episodes. Hallucinations. Like Will. But after… after Halloween, and then Thursday, we found out they were something more." He narrows his eyes. "Will was found with a vine shoved down his throat. He was chosen, too. It wasn't like with me, where I was just breathing it all in and not giving anything back. The Upside Down managed to get his DNA in return, not just anything we breathed out. Saliva, enough samples to know him. And on Thursday, he… the Mind Flayer went in him. It also… found me. I let it find me, I guess, my meds have been making my mutation a little less easy to understand and control. Um, anyway…" I blink and look down, my eyes closing tight. "These vines, they grabbed me and they pulled me down onto the ground. They wrapped around my wrists and ankles and bound me there while this shadow-tornado swirled around me, trying to get me to submit. Then it vanished, but I was still in the Upside Down. So I walked and kept walking, finally reaching your house. Joyce, she snapped me out of it. And Will and I… we told her the truth." I open my eyes and stare back up at my oldest friend. "I wanted to tell you. I wanted to, really, but your mom… your mom said not to, and I didn't know where you were. I didn't know if you and Nance had already left to find Murray, or if you were caught by someone, or if you were still in Hawkins. And my hands were all torn up and my body hurt and I was scared. I'm always scared." I whisper to him, only to him. "That's my biggest secret."

Jonathan steps away from me, then shakes his head. "You should've told me." Is all he says before walking towards the back door, Nancy rushing after him like a bat out of hell.

I nearly collapse to my knees, exhausted and terrified I lost my best friend, of the knowledge I'd disappointed him. Mike and Lucas are closest, and they catch me. But it's Max who flutters around me like some worried butterfly, shoving me and the boys towards the kitchen and forcing me to sit down. "Steve, Mike, we need bandages." She orders, voice shaking a bit. No one moves, and I look up to see Dustin tugging at Steve, the older teen's whole body shaking with excess energy. "We need to change her dressings. Come on you guys!" She shouts, her voice more confident, and they snap into action. Mike tears off towards the bathroom, Steve right behind him. Dustin crosses over to sit next to me, helping Max unwrap my dirty bandages. Lucas sets down a bowl of water, steam billowing out of it as he dunks a dry towel in.

The bloodied mess of wraps is tossed on the table and I barely make a sound as Max starts dabbing at my hands, the hot water burning my skin a bit.

"Alright, we've got some more wraps and I found the rubbing alcohol." Mike offers up, and I let out a gasp when Max cleans a particularly dirty cut, right over the scar on my palm from last year.

"You couldn't find any whiskey?" I gripe, but my voice is heavier than usual.

Steve still snorts, though, taking the rubbing alcohol from Mike and another dry towel. He stands over Dustin and takes my recently-cleaned left hand, carefully dabbing at the blisters with the stinging liquid. Dustin shushes my small whimpers, then traces the bruises around my wrist. "You didn't tell me about… about this."

I shake my head. "No, I didn't. I guess I'm a better liar than I realized."

"You never lied. You just kept your secrets." Dustin argues, and the tone of finality in his voice stops an ensuing argument. I just nod at him then bite my lip, choosing to focus on Max.

"How'd you learn all this, anyway?" I ask her, and she lets out a sigh.

"Skateboarding… I-I fall a lot." She tells me, but there's this… this lilt in her voice like she's keeping secrets of her own. I know she is, I still haven't forgotten what I'd overheard her confessing to Lucas.

After cleaning my right hand with rubbing alcohol, my limbs are wrapped carefully and tightly without causing them to throb from blood loss. Lucas sits down, and Steve leans back against the sink. Dustin's carefully holding my left hand, and I squeeze back to reassure him I'm okay. Well, okay enough to not have another breakdown. Yet. It's bound to happen soon.

Mike walks into the living room, bending down a bit in front of the coffee table and picking up a wrapped cube. "Did you guys know that Bob was the original founder of Hawkins AV?" He asks, back still turned to us.

"Really?" Lucas asks, voice full of amazement.

"He petitioned the school to start it and everything." Mike turns to us. I have to look down. "Then he had a fund-raiser for equipment. Mr. Clarke learned everything from him. Pretty awesome, right?"

I stand up sharply, chair scratching the ground as it goes. The kids jump. "Roni, are you -"

"I need some air." I cut Steve off, walking out of the kitchen.

"It isn't safe -"

"I'm a human Upside Down detector. I'll be fine." I tell my brother, slamming the front door behind me as I leave the house.

With a sigh I sit down on the porch steps, elbows on my knees and head bowed down.

Last year was… It was rough. Extremely hard. And for most of the fight I was wounded. But at least I had Jonathan. Now, well, I brought this on myself. I messed up. How much of this year would've been different if I had just been honest with everyone? If I told them about my hallucinations. At least now that I know what they are, it'd be easier to explain. It wouldn't be some bombshell I just dropped and walked away from. I can only hope that Nancy didn't tell Jonathan I told her first. She doesn't deserve any of his rage. It's all on me.

And then at the Lab, I had to go play hero. I could've died, again, but that didn't matter because I wanted to right the wrongs any way I could.

And I couldn't even succeed at being the hero. All I did was prolong Bob's death, give him hope when there really was none. I failed Joyce, my second mother and one of my closest confidants.

God, I'm so stupid -

"Veronica." I look up as heavy footsteps approach me, and the wood shifts a little at the added weight by my side. "You should be inside, Hooligan."

"Couldn't breathe in there." I tell Hopper, barely looking at him.

"Yeah, well, there aren't any of those freaks of nature inside."

"No, there aren't." I keep staring straight ahead, watching the trees. "Why'd you do it? Go to the tunnels?"

"How did you… Oh. Right. The doc explained it to me, and Joyce and Mike."

"Well, that's one last person I have to admit my problems to." I casually mention, picking at the new tears in the knees of my pants. "You didn't answer my question. Why'd you go there alone? 'Cause it sure as hell wasn't smart or safe, which means you were a hypocrite and played hero without backup."

"You're not allowed to lecture me about 'playing hero' after the shit you just pulled at the Lab." I throw an unimpressed look his way. "But you're right, okay? It wasn't smart or safe of me."

"So why'd you do it? You scared me, Jim." I whisper. "You're the only dad I have left." I quietly admit, tearing up a bit. "And I know you didn't sign up to half-raise a teenage girl, but that's what you are to me."

"Kiddo, hey." One large arm is wrapped around my shoulders and I'm tugged closer to the Chief of Police. "You're like a daughter to me, alright? You know, after… After she died, I came back here to be alone. To trap myself in the past or whatever. Then one of my first months as Chief, I get a call from a scared former classmate, saying her little girl ran away. I honestly found you by luck, but… You wormed your way into my life, Hooligan. So when we figured out Will's drawings are tunnels, and I had my suspicions, I just acted. It wasn't just to help Will and Joyce. I didn't want you to get hurt, again." He exhales shakily. "When you disappeared last year, it was so… surreal. Will was already missing, then I got another call from your mom, this time telling me you were gone. With Will, I had my suspicions that he ran away to see his dad. But I know you better than him, and I knew you'd never go to your dad. I was scared. I didn't want that to happen to you, again."

I nod. "I get it. It was still a stupid move, but I get it."

"I know."

"Jonathan hates me now. I told him everything." I mutter into his chest. "I knew he would, but it still feels bad. Really bad."

"Kiddo, that boy is incapable of hating you. He's probably pissed and scared, but he loves you. Just give him time."

"I failed Joyce." I mutter.

"Veronica -"

"I tried so hard to save Bob. I didn't know him that well, but I knew he made her happy. She deserves to be happy. She's a second mother to me, and I didn't want her to lose anyone. I failed both of them."

"Listen to me." He moves over a little so I have no choice but to look up at him. "You didn't fail anyone. I promise you didn't, okay?"

"I don't believe you. I probably won't, for a while."

"I know." He smiles at me all fatherly. "I don't expect you to. People like us… we need reminding of that, more than others. I've got you, kiddo. And I'm proud of you. While you were… while we were driving here," he amends, not broaching the topic of my panic attack, "the kids told me about the junkyard. You sounded like a real badass." I smile.

"I guess my dad did something right, letting me train in archery and all."

"I guess so."

We sit in silence, simply breathing. I jump a bit when the front door opens, and turn to see Jonathan standing there. "Hey, uh… the kids figured something out. They want to talk to us." Hopper sighs forlornly and stands up, grunting as he does. I follow him up. "Actually, Ver and I will be there in a minute."

"Sure, kid. Take it easy on her, though." Hopper pats Jonathan warningly before stomping back inside.

I cross my arms self-consciously, half looking at Jonathan. "I, uh. I don't hate you."

I blink and give him my undivided attention. "You-you don't?"

"No. I don't. I mean, I'm pissed off and probably will be for a while, but I don't hate you. Nancy put a few things in perspective for me."

"Whatever she said wasn't an excuse -"

"No, it wasn't. But it was one of your reasons."

"I'm sorry for not telling you. I'm always going to be sorry."

"I'm sorry for not making sure you were actually okay. I'm always going to be sorry for that." He tells me, and I blink away more tears. "You're my sister, rockstar. We're gonna have our fights. We know that. But this… This wasn't just on you. And what's happening to Will is not your fault, okay? I never should've implied it was. That wasn't fair to you." I don't respond, terrified that what I have to say will result in another fight.

It was fair, I want to tell him, I lied to your face and listened to your mom when she said not to contact you.

"Come on, before Hopper loses his mind." I snort.

"Too late. He already has." Jonathan laughs, then I'm pulled into a hug.

"I've got so much to tell you, after all this."

"Starting with how you and Nancy finally got your shit together?" I ask him, stepping out of the hug. He blushes and scratches at the back of his neck.

"Jesus, she told you?"

"Accidentally. Call it a… miscommunication. Come on, Johnny-boy." He rolls his eyes but pushes the front door open, leaving our fight behind us.

Dustin slams Will's Dungeons and Dragons manual on the kitchen table, slipping between Steve and I. Nancy stands on his other side, looking infinitely more relieved since Jonathan and I returned to the kitchen together with smiles on our faces.

"The Mind Flayer." My little brother announces to the group, sans Joyce.

"What the hell is that?" Hopper asks, eyebrows furrowed.

"It's a monster from an unknown dimension. It's so ancient that it doesn't even know its true home. Okay, it enslaves races of other dimensions by taking over their brains using its highly-developed psionic powers."

"Oh my God, none of this is real. This is a kid's game." Hopper gripes.

"Yeah, well, we've got hellhounds -"

"Demodogs. Demogorgon, dogs. Demodogs." Dustin explains, and I just sigh.

"Yeah, okay, the point still stands. We've got those little bastards running around and creeping through underground tunnels with living, breathing vines. This tracks."

Hopper throws me a look of disbelief, and I shrug nonchalantly.

"This is a manual, and it's not for kids!" Dustin argues with the Chief. "And unless you know something that we don't, this is the best metaphor -"

"Analogy."

"Analogy, D." Lucas and I correct, then give each other air high-fives.

Dustin looks between the two of us like we've grown two heads each. "'Analogy'? That's what you're worried about?" Lucas and I nod. "Fine. An analogy for understanding whatever the hell this is."

"Okay!" Nance throws her hands up a bit, exasperated. "So, this Mind Flamer thing -"

"Flayer. Mind Flayer." Dustin corrects, and she sighs in frustration.

"What does it want?"

"To conquer us, basically It believes it's the master race."

"Oh, like the, uh, like the Germans?" Steve asks, and everyone looks at him. I probably just do it more affectionately than condescendingly.

"Uh, the Nazis?" Dustin corrects, and I roll my eyes.

"Yeah, the uh, the Nazis."

"Who came from Germany, D, so he wasn't completely wrong." I defend Steve, refusing to look at him as I glare up at my younger brother. Dustin's head snaps back a little at the tone, but then he just smirks.

"You're right, I'm sorry." I narrow my eyes at his change in tone, and do my best to ignore Nancy staring at me with those detective eyes of hers. "Uh, right, if the Nazis were from another dimension, totally. Uh, it views other races, like us, as inferior to itself. Except for… Except for you." Dustin looks at me, and I blink. "It chose you, right?"

"The vines did."

"It's a hive mind, Leia. It chose you."

"Right. That isn't freaky or anything." I mutter, Steve patting me on the back.

"It wants to spread, take over other dimensions. Which is probably why it chose you. Only it didn't change you in the way it thought." Mike surmises. "And that's why it attacked you on Thursday, you made it angry."

"I have that effect, yes." I sass, and Jonathan snorts in amusement, sending me a wink.

"Whatever the reason, we are talking about the destruction of our world as we know it." Lucas jumps in, veering our discussion back on course.

"That's great. That's great. That's really great. Jesus!" Steve panics, turning away from us to pace. I manage to catch him on his elbow before he gets too far and tug him back to the table, ending his dramatics.

"Okay, so if this thing is like a brain that's controlling everything," Nancy points down to the picture in the book of some squid-looking-man, "then if we kill it…"

"We kill everything it controls." Mike finishes for her.

"We win." Lucas adds. "Theoretically."

"Alright." Hopper gruffs out, walking over to stand beside Nancy and tug the book out of Dustin's hold. "Great. So how do you kill this thing? Shoot it with fireballs or something?" He asks my brother.

Dustin chuckles. "No. No, fire - no , you summon an undead army, uh, because… because zombies, you know, they don't have any brains, and the Mind Flayer, it-it-it likes brains." I blink over at him. "It's just a game, it's a game."

I groan and rub my forehead with my right hand.

"I'm getting a headache." I mutter.

"What the hell are we doing here?" Hopper asks, slamming the book closed and tossing it on the table.

"I thought we were waiting on your military backup." Dustin sasses back.

"Oh, so you do know what backup is." I comment, and Hopper points at me in warning, very Harrison Ford-style.

"Shut up, and we are!"

"Even if they come, how are they gonna stop this?" Mike asks, over everything as always. Teenagers, man. "You can't just shoot this with guns. Or arrows." He gestures to me, but I nod.

"You don't know that! We don't know anything!" Hopper yells back.

"We know it's already killed everybody in that lab." Mike reminds him, and I wince. Dustin takes my hand in response.

"And we know the monsters are going to molt again."

"And we know that it's only a matter of time before those tunnels reach this town."

"Which means we are running out of options." I finish passionately. "I want this to be over. I want to stop losing control and seeing that place and those things."

"They're right." We all look over at the entrance to the kitchen. Joyce stands there, voice breaking but body straight and ready for a fight. "We have to kill it."

I rush over to her, then hesitate for only a second before she pulls me into her side. "I want to kill it."

"Me, too." Hopper walks over to where we're holding each other up.

"I -"

"Me, too, Joyce, okay? But how do we do that?" Hopper asks. "We don't exactly know what we're dealing with here."

"No. But they do." Mike announces, walking past us and closer to the unconscious Will. "If anyone knows how to destroy this thing, it's Will. He's connected to it. He'll know its weakness."

"I thought we couldn't trust him anymore. That he's a spy for the Mind Flayer now."

"Yeah, but he can't spy if he doesn't know where he is. And we've got a spy of our own. An invisible one." Mike looks at me, and the rest follow him. "Dustin told me you astral projected. You can do it again."

"Mike, the confidence is nice, but I don't have control of this shit at the best of times -"

"You can do this, Leia." Dustin interrupts me. "I believe in you."

"So do I." Lucas tells me, and Max nods.

"Veronica," I look over at Mike. "You can do this."

"Okay." I nod. "Okay. But I'm gonna need music, some nougat, and maybe some alcohol."

"We can give you two of those things." Hopper pats my shoulder.

Well damn, may the Force be with me, I guess.

3rd Person POV (Steve)...

Steve sighs as he tapes a large black trash bag to the wall, nearly avoiding stabbing his thumb on a rusty nail. When this is all over, he's gonna tell Jonathan to get this fixed. There's no way in hell the shed's actually structurally sound. And judging from the pile of useless junk in front of the shed, some serious cleaning has to be done, too.

Nancy's helping him by cutting large strips of duct tape, and it wouldn't be too awkward if, you know, they had their relationship talk before all this went down. A better one, at least. One with less yelling and accusations and bullshit.

"Hey." He looks at her from his crouched position, getting the bottom of the bag in place. "What you did, um, helping the kids... " He straightens up, and braces his right arm against the wall, "That was… really cool." She finishes, big blue eyes staring up at him.

I didn't do it for you, he wants to scream. Maybe if he hadn't bonded with Dustin or grown up a bit more the past two days, he would've. But he's got no energy for a fight, not after the bus and Roni's panic attack and now this nagging fear that he's going to lose her.

"Yeah." Is all he says, climbing up onto the chair he'd dragged in and taping up some more of the black tarp. "Those little shits are real trouble, you know."

"Believe me, I know." She laughs, then picks up an old newspaper to join in his efforts. "And Vera. She's a handful, too."

Steve looks down at his ex, biting his lip. Thousands of questions are running through his mind. "Uh, yeah. She's trouble?"

Nancy snorts and looks up at him, blue eyes shining with mischief. "Oh, please." She hands him a stapler. "I don't know why you posed it as a question."

"What do you want me to say? That I'm constantly worried for her? That I hate the fact she's an even bigger part of this than she has to be? That she thought she was losing her mind and we all just chalked it up as PTSD, including her? Yeah, she's trouble, but this shit ain't trouble. I hate it."

"I do, too. Believe me." Nancy tells him, her passionate tone soothing him a bit. She's practically Roni's sister, after all.

"Sorry. I just -"

"Love her."

And there it is. Again. Only this time, he'll be less of a coward. "I do. I, uh, I love you too, you know. Loved."

"I know. I loved you, too." Nancy promises, looking straight into his eyes, not blinking or speaking too high. It's clearly the truth. "But…"

"I'm not him."

"And I'm not her." It's said with acceptance, though, and Steve wishes this was how they broke up.

"We had a good run, though. For awhile." Steve guesses, looking down.

Nancy grabs his elbow comfortingly, and it's so bizarrely platonic, especially when Steve only feels a slight flutter at the touch. "Steve, we did. I'm sorry we ended like that. You didn't deserve it, neither one of us did. I'm so sorry for calling us bullshit, and you bullshit. We didn't kill Barb, and Roni getting taken isn't on us."

"You may not think that, but I don't think I can stop blaming myself for it." Steve responds, stapling the rest of the tarp. "I mean, none of that would've happened if I hadn't thrown a party."

"That doesn't make it your fault. That's on the Lab and the Demogorgon."

"And now we're dealing with a Mind Flamer."

"Flayer." Nancy corrects, and Steve can see her smirk from the corner of his eyes.

"Whatever. It's still ridiculous."

"Vera's gonna be okay, you know that, right?"

"No, I don't."

"Well, I'm choosing to believe it. I don't know what I'll do if she isn't."

There's a harshness to her soft voice that makes Steve shiver, yet he can't help but agree. "What'd you say to Jonathan? To get him to relax around Roni?"

"I told him to stop acting like she's the enemy for keeping traumatic shit to herself. We all kept secrets at one point, and Vera's never acted like she's perfect. She made her choice and she regrets it, but I see why she didn't tell us."

"It was still stupid of her." Steve gripes.

"Yeah, well, she dealt with her shit better than the rest of us, anyway."

"She's dating Hargrove, so clearly she isn't dealing with it in the best way. God, Nance, he's a total douchebag. And he keeps calling her 'fiery' and shit. She's the damn Ice Queen, or she pretends to be, and she's never once run hot like that." Steve breathes out, then assesses his ex. "Sorry."

"No, no, it's fine. You aren't wrong. Still, Steve… you have to know, she really does like him."

Steve deflates, torn between being happy Roni's still in his life and hating the fact after all this she's still gonna be with Billy Hargrove. "I know. I know she does. He makes her happy, doesn't he?"

"For now, yeah. But as much as she likes him… Steve, it's you. She loves you."

Steve snorts, flashing back to his talk with Dustin. "Yeah. Younger Henderson already spilled the beans."

Nancy rolls her eyes. "Unbelievable. That kid has no filter."

"Yeah. Reminds me of Roni, before her dad left. She was like that, too."

"You remember what she was like five years ago?" Nancy asks, a little incredulous.

"I remember what she was like in elementary school."

"Oh. Oh." Nancy smiles up at him, all soft and romantic. "That long?"

"I've liked her since the sixth grade. I was just, well, an idiot." Nancy giggles, and he throws her a betrayed look. "Aw, c'mon."

"Nazis, Steve."

"Nazism started in Germany." He argues, then smiles when he remembers how vehemently Roni defended him. He clears his throat and blushes as he staples a new tarp up. "You know, Dustin said she has no idea how I feel about her."

Nancy snorts again. "Oh, he's totally right. That girl needs prescription glasses when it comes to looking at you. Or maybe she's just so focused on how she feels that nothing else is noticeable. Which is insane, because you have these big googly eyes right now thinking about her."

He blushes, again, then clears his throat. "You know, most of my exes aren't so keen on talking about my love life."

"Yeah, well, I screwed up as bad as you did when it came to mine." He balks and her words. "I mean, I didn't get back in a relationship with you because you were easy or safe or whatever. You were just familiar, and before all the Upside Down bullshit happened. Does that, did that make sense?" She asks him, and he nods down at her.

"Actually, yeah. It does. I mean, it was a little safe," she gives him a look of agreement, "but yeah, it wasn't a screwed up relationship. It just -"

"It's not what was best for us, in the long run." They smile at each other, then get back to work, the air around them no longer thick with tension. "Hey, did you send in your college application?"

Steve just staples a little louder, wishing he could duct tape his ears to avoid a Nancy Wheeler Lecture. And yeah, this is the first time in a few months being around her is comfortable rather than simply content. Or is it complacent?

If a demodog doesn't kill him, writing the damn college essay might.

Veronica's POV…

I adjust myself on Jonathan's bed, Mike looming over me with the other kids while Steve sits next to me. Jonathan and Nancy stand behind us, holding onto each other. "Okay. What we need you to do is get inside the Upside Down. Like, not physically, but… astral project."

"So I go in there and just, what?" I ask, blinking up at them.

"Leia, you're our spy. You've gotta do some recon." Dustin explains. "Will's gonna be talking, or not, but you need to figure out some more shit for us. Back up anything we get from Will."

"You know, this may not work. I'm exhausted, I haven't had caffeine all day, and my hands freaking hurt."

"Your meds have also probably worn out a bit, so you never know." Dustin throws me two thumbs up in encouragement, and I roll my eyes.

"Veronica, you've got this. Try and find Will in the Upside Down - his connection with the Mind Flayer puts him there thanks to the now-memories. Maybe the real Will is in there, trapped. Even if he isn't, you'll be able to see if he's lying without being seen by him."

"Mike, I could slip up. The vines have grabbed me before, and they sense me occasionally."

"Only because you let them. Don't let them."

"Think of the Upside Down like… like Drew. He's an asshole, and if he were the big bad you'd make sure he didn't see you." Jonathan offers up, and I snort before turning my head to send him a friendly glare.

"Nah, I'll just picture the Upside Down as our dads."

"Even better." He walks closer to clap me on the shoulder, then his shoulders rise in tension. "C'mon, Mike. Don't want to keep my mom and Hopper waiting." Jonathan looks down at me, as reassuring as possible. "You've got this, rockstar."

"Okay." I mutter, then watch him go. The kids follow him out, Dustin giving me a hug before joining his friends.

The last one out is Nancy, who throws a smile my way. "You know, if anyone can do this, it's you." I try to smile back, but it's more of a grimace. Still, Nancy accepts it. "Steve, are you coming?"

I almost snort. If Billy were here he would've gone, "That's what she said." Like Chevy Chase in that SNL skit.

Oh, Billy. We were supposed to meet… oh my God, it's almost eleven. Two-and-a-half hours ago. Man, I'm gonna have a shit-ton of groveling to do. Do guys like flowers? Nah, I know what he likes. I'm sure he stopped by my house. Mom must've told him I lost track of time.

Steve clears his throat and starts to stand, but the idea of him leaving me makes my heart clench. I grab his arm. "Stay. Please." I whisper, and he nods, his eyes so open and warm.

"Of course." He clears his throat again and looks over at Nancy, who's watching us… fondly? "I'm, uh, staying."

"Good." She grins at us then walks away, feet padding down the hall as she goes. Steve gingerly sits down next to me, then picks up my walkman.

"So, what song should I find on your tape. Rock You Like a Hurricane? Bad Reputation?"

"No." I shake my head. "Um, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy. It's track 13."

His pouty lips twitch upwards and he ducks his head. "You're the boss, Roni."

"Oh, shut up." He snorts.

"Very intimidating, princess."

"It's nice." He gives me a questioning look, and it's so damn cute. His cuteness should be illegal. "Um, you calling me that without making me sound like a complete bitch."

"Well, it's how I should've been saying it." He coughs, then gives me my headphones. "Okay, what do you need from me? Should I be quiet, or, you know, sing along to the song? I know the words, thanks to how often you sing it in the kitchen. Hey, after this is over can you make that lasagna again? With the sausage and -"

"Steven." He jolts and looks at me, but I can tell my smile is soft and patient. Kind of like the old me. Old-old me. "Just don't leave me, okay?"

"I'm not going to leave you."

"Promises, promises." I whisper, then slide my headphones over my ears. With a click of a button the bugle starts to play, and I close my eyes.

Calm, be calm. Powers are always linked with emotions. This should be as smooth as opening a well-crafted door. Turn the knob, but don't fall in. It's gotta be like floating, rather than walking. Breathe, breathe, breathe…

And jackpot, I'm back. It feels like how it was in tunnels. All trippy and shit. Find Will, find Will -

With a rush and a pull in my gut, I'm there in the shed, the wood and hastily stapled tarp covered in sticky vines that pay no attention to me as I walk in. Will's still tied up, vines stretching away from him and slithering through me as they go. It's, well, I'm not gonna say it feels good or anything, because it's fucking weird. I'm all ghost-like and shit.

The voices around me are muffled, but I'm more concerned with the black veins running all through Will's body, how his eyes have snapped open and remain unblinking, brown orbs practically as black as the shadow monster. He still doesn't see me, which is, well, good.

His shadow is also nearly triple the size it should be, tentacles reach out from them. That's the Mind Flayer, I guess, or a part of him. I'm all tingly because it's the Upside Down, but the back of my neck is free of goosebumps so I figure I'm safe so far.

Looking closer, I see that Will is shivering. I'm not feeling cold - well, I'm not feeling anything - but his lips are turning blue and his cheeks are flushed red.

He's freezing. Just how cold is this place?

With a gasp his little body jolts, clearly feeling whatever's going on in the real Hawkins. I stand stock-still, willing myself to remain invisible.

"What, what, what is this?" He asks, only his normal voice comes out like a bad tape - there's a deep scratch to it. "What is this?" He struggles, wrists rubbing raw as he tugs on the ropes. He stares right at me, except it's through me, and I let out an inaudible sigh of relief. "Why am I tied up?"

Oh God, I can't do this.

I turn away to catch my breath and calm myself, and a shadow grows over me, big enough to overtake the whole shed.

Shit.

"I know you're there, little one. I can't see you, but you're there. Why wouldn't you be? A child you care for is in danger." The monster breathes out, taunting me, and the shed begins to fade. I count to ten and cover my mouth as the darkness fades and I'm standing in front of a giant hole. It's like the one in the tree from last year, a -

"A gate." I gasp.

"I am sure you can sense what that is." The Flayer hisses. "When that girl opened it, she let us in. I waited so long to be let in. To take more. I crave more. Now that I know what humans are like, it's impossible to ignore how superior I am. This language is so very primitive, and you are all so very weak." There's a rush around me, and I turn. It doesn't see me, but I have to see it. "No, not all. You've managed to surprise me, little one. When I chose you, you had given up hope. You were fading. So moldable. And still, I missed the fighter inside. How independent you think, how resistant you can be. That boy is a fighter, yes. And he can resist. Yet, his doubt in himself was his undoing."

I tilt my head, watching the shadow flutter around. "I tried to enter you, you know. Two hosts, one to plan and one to fight. I saw into you, when you were trapped here with us. The Ice Queen. We like the cold down here, and you fit perfectly. But it was all a lie, I think. Humans lie even better than I. Perhaps you've had more practice." The shadow grows larger, covering me completely. "You can still save the boy, little one. All you have to do is let me in. I'll release him. Together, we can accomplish so much. We can find the man responsible for this, the one who allowed me passage. We can force those who wronged you to bow and beg for mercy. Let me in, little one. It's time." Shadows swirl around me, searching for me blindly. "You cannot hide forever, little one. Sooner or later, you will lose control. Then it will be too late. You won't just be saving the boy. We'll let your friends live. Your brother will be alright. Your boyfriend and the man you've come to know as a father will remain unharmed. And that boy, the one you love," he taunts me further, growling as he does, "he will live. I will spare them all."

Liar.

"I admit, killing that girl was not my most brilliant move. She was weak, yes, but her death inspired more fight in you. I am sorry, little one." The shadow bites out. "Well, as sorry as a being like I can be."

I remain silent. Don't let him see me, don't let him in.

"That boy is fading, little one. This is your one chance." With a snap I'm being tugged back into the shed, where Will's gone motionless and his lips even bluer. His eyes are glazed and unfocused, and he blinks at me.

"Veronica, please." He whispers, but his mouth doesn't move. His voice just fills the air. "Please help me."

"Do you hear him begging, little one? I know you can, I know you're still here. I can almost feel you. You need me, little one."

"It hurts, and I'm so cold. Please Veronica. Please, it hurts. Why aren't you helping me?" Will pleads.

I nearly collapse, but find I'm still floating. I open my mouth, about to say his name, when my ears tune into some tapping. Repetitive tapping. Like, like some secret knock. Or a code. Morse code. I don't know it, but I know what it sounds like. Will's still in there, that voice is only the shadow monster playing a trick on me, and I will not give in.

So I turn and stare up at the shadow, eyes roving over the tentacles protruding out of him. "I'm still here."

"Ah, I hear you." The Flayer chuckles. "But I cannot see you. That is progress, I suppose. Have you made your decision?"

"Yeah, I have. I won't let you in." Then I smirk, and channel my best Sarah Connor. "You're gonna be terminated, fucker."

The shadow roars and swipes at me, but its tentacles only swirl around. "Little one, I grow tired of you insolence. Let. Me. IN!"

Home, home, home.

I open my eyes, mouth formed in silent scream as I slide off the bed, arms windmilling for balance.

"Jesus, Roni - RONI!" Steve shouts after me. I slide into the kitchen where Nancy, Dustin, Max, and Lucas are all gathered, hovering next to a radio and scratching a dull pencil into a pad of paper.

"Will's in there."

"Yeah, sis, we figured that out. Morse code."

"No, Dustin, I know. But Will's there, in the Upside Down. He's all gross-looking, though, with black veins bulging out of his body. An-and the shadow monster, it was there. Right behind him, in him. It showed me… it showed me the gate! An-and tried to recruit me, and explained why my mutation is freaky. It's cause I'm a fighter, or some shit like that. Too resistant."

"Did he see you? Veronica, were you safe?" Dustin demands, Max rushing over to me with a glass of water while Lucas waits for the rest of the code.

"No, he didn't see me. I mean, he knew I was there because he was using Will as bait. I talked to him - before you freak out, I didn't give anything away except that he's gonna be terminated. Then I got the hell out of Dodge."

"Roni, slow down, take a sip of water." Steve asks me, voice soft. I nod and take a quick sip, but return to talking.

"Guys, Will… he looked hypothermic down there. Cold. And -"

"The Mind Flayer likes it cold." Dustin gasps, and I nod. "Okay, so it didn't go as planned, but… you did it. Total badass recon, Huntress." We high-five and I gasp for air.

"I'm gonna have a panic attack now."

"Sorry, no-can-do, I've got the rest of the code!" Lucas shouts.

We rush over to him, Steve nudging me along as I keep trying to catch my breath. The paper reads C-L-O-S-E-G-A-T-E.

"Close gate." We all read, and Dustin pats me on the back.

"And now we know what gate he me-"

The phone rings, cutting him off, and we all freeze.

Shit.

"Shit. Shit!" Dustin shouts, running over to the offending object and slamming it back down on the receiver to hang the caller up. It only starts to ring again, but before he can do anything about it Nancy is wrenching the entire phone off the wall and throwing it down the hall with a grunt.

"Do you think he heard that?" Max asks, and I let out a gasp as goosebumps flutter over the back of my neck. I land on my knees, cup of water rolling away.

"Roni!"

"Veronica!"

"Leia!"

"Vera, what's going on?" My friends shout. I cover my ears and scream, closing my eyes.

C'mon, show me. Show me, show me, show me.

I open my eyes and see shadows dashing away from me. They're the size of dogs, and the thundering feet tell me it's more than we can handle. The vines are parting for me, enticing me to follow, but I'm not needed here for anything other than becoming a puppet.

I squeeze my eyes shut, and when I reopen them it's like my senses were stolen, then given back tenfold. Everything is too much, it's more than before.

Two pairs of blue eyes stare into mine.

Nancy and Dustin. My siblings. One by choice, the other in blood. "Are you -"

Hopper comes in, holding up a rifle. He looks down at me, eyes wide.

"We've got incoming. A lot of incoming." I warn him, then stand up on my own, brushing nervous hands away.

"Well, it's a good thing some of us have weapons." I shrug at Hopper's words and take my bow and quiver of arrows from Dustin, having removed both when we arrived at the Byers house.

"Jonathan, can you use this?" Hopper asks, holding the gun up. "I said, can you use this?"

I snort, and my best friend shoots me a look. "Uh -"

"I can." Nancy announces, and Hopper breathes in through his nose, tossing it to her. She catches it with ease, accepting the bullets he'd collected and shoving them in the pocket of her jacket. I stand by her side, an arrow already notched while she loads her gun.

"It's a good thing we trained, huh?" I ask her, raising my bow as the goosebumps intensify.

"We're about to find out."

"Veronica, dear, can you -"

"They're almost here, Joyce." I turn to the older woman. "In case I have to barbecue any of these bastards, are you fond of the furniture in here?"

She shakes her head, body shivering with nerves. "No. Have, uh, have at it I guess."

The air wooshes next to me, and I turn my head to see Steve twirling his bat. Damn, that's still a good look on him.

He catches me staring and sends a wink my way, very reminiscent of King Steve. "You ready, Your Worshipfulness?" He asks me and I gasp, realizing where it's from.

"You've seen Star Wars?" I ask, and Hopper makes a gruff noise. Right, not the time.

"All three, Roni."

"Well, are you ready, nerf herder?" He sends me another wink, then twirls his bat, prepared to fight. I raise my bow again, and the goosebumps are practically leaping out of my skin.

The screeching gets louder, the paws pounding on dirt get closer, and so I give Dustin a smile. He looks at me with big, wet blue eyes, and I try to convey every ounce of love I have for the kid.

I return my focus to the living room window, practically willing the beasts to jump into frame.

They jump, alright, but I don't see it. We hear it, instead. These terrified yelps, pained growls, a snap, paws retreating. The goosebumps are rapidly fading, but I don't lower my bow. Not even when a demodog goes sailing through the window, landing on the ground with a dull thud. It doesn't move, neck angled in a strange way and the petals framing its head limp. Hopper points his gun at it, but I'm the one who shoots. The arrow pierces its exposed neck, going straight through. Max makes a noise of disgust, but it's covered by creaking noises.

Footsteps are approaching the house. They're getting closer, and closer, but they're human. Or at least, I hope they're human. I'd know if a demogorgon was coming.

The deadbolt on the door slides out of its socket, the lock on the doorknob twists with a click, and the doorknob turns on its own.

The first thing I see is a pair of ratty converse. Then jeans rolled up at the ankle, a ripped black shirt, a black jacket, and a girl with Joan Jett makeup and slicked back brown hair, longer than I last saw her. Her nose is bleeding, her stare is intense, and she only has eyes for Mike and I.

Someone answered my birthday wish from last year. I wanted her to be alive, and here she is.

"Eleven." I breathe out, and this weight I'd been carrying since I watched her disappear is lifted. Mike takes my hand, and it suddenly feels like it's just the three of us. Two kids who care deeply for each other, and the girl who thought she failed them.