The sun had just dipped below the horizon, casting Dustin's room in a dim, orange glow. Dove and Dustin crouched on the floor, scrubbing furiously at the bloodstains on the carpet. The heavy scent of iron still lingered in the air, mixing with the sharp sting of cleaning chemicals. Each pass of the brush felt futile, the stains refusing to disappear as if mocking their efforts.

Dove's arms ached, and the exhaustion from earlier still weighed her down, but she didn't stop. She couldn't. Her mind was racing, thoughts swirling about Dart, Mews, and wondering what the hell they were going to do next. Every time she closed her eyes, all she could see was Dart's gaping, blood-streaked mouth and the horrible sight of Mews' lifeless body.

"I think it's getting worse," Dustin muttered, his voice strained as he scrubbed harder, his brush turning pink with each pass.

Dove looked over at her brother. His face was tight with frustration, sweat beading on his forehead beneath his messy curls. She hated seeing him like this—so determined, yet so powerless.

"We need stronger stuff," Dove said, sitting back on her heels with a sigh. "This isn't going to cut it."

Dustin wiped his brow with the back of his hand and glanced at his walkie-talkie, which had been silent despite his desperate calls for help. His fingers twitched toward it again, the frustration on his face deepening.

Without much hope, Dustin grabbed the walkie-talkie and pressed the button. "Alright, it's Dustinagain. Seriously, I have a code red."

A crackle of static erupted from the walkie, and for a moment, Dustin's eyes lit up with hope. But it quickly faded when a familiar, young voice broke through the static.

"Could you pleaseshut up?"

"Erica? Erica, is Lucas there? Where is he?" Dustin asked, his face twisting in a mix of hope and anger.

"Don't know. Don't care." She replied.

"Please tell him it's super important." Dustin pleaded. "Please tell him that I have a code-"

"Code red?" Erica asked. "I got a code for you instead. It's called code shut-your-mouth." With that, the walkie clicked off, leaving only the buzz of static behind.

Dove stifled a laugh, despite the seriousness of the situation. "Well, that went well."

Dustin threw his sponge onto the floor with a frustrated huff. "That's it. I need to find Mike. He'll know what to do." He stood up quickly, already heading for the door.

"Wait—what about this?" Dove asked, gesturing down to his floor, the now pink stain still glaringly obvious.

Dustin paused in the doorway, rubbing the back of his neck. "You've got this. Besides, one of us should stay here, just in case Mom comes home. I'll handle it with Mike."

Dove's brow furrowed, and she stood up, crossing her arms. "No way. I'm not staying here while you go running off to deal with this alone."

"I'm not going to be alone, I'll have Mike!" Dustin argued, his voice a little too defensive.

"And I'm your sister," Dove shot back, stepping closer. "I'm in this just as much as you are. You think I'm going to sit here and wait while you get yourself into more trouble?"

Dustin hesitated, his lips pressed into a thin line as he met her gaze. He didn't want to admit it, but he knew Dove wasn't going to back down. And in truth, he didn't want her to.

"Fine, but we have to be fast," Dustin finally conceded. "Grab your bike. We need to get to Mike's before it gets any worse."

Dove nodded, already moving toward the door. Within moments, they were outside, their bikes waiting by the shed. The cool night air did little to calm Dove's nerves as she hopped onto her bike, following closely behind Dustin as they pedaled down the street. The familiar roads of Hawkins passed in a blur, but the weight of what they were riding into hung heavily over them.

Dove pulled into Mike's driveway just behind Dustin, the faint creak of their bike chains the only sound in the stillness of the evening. Dustin hopped off his bike, barely slowing down as he threw it onto the grass and bolted toward the front door of the Wheeler house. His urgency was palpable, his frustration clear from their earlier conversation. But as Dove slowed to a stop, she found herself hesitating, her eyes drawn to the quiet street around her.

Dove leaned her bike against the fence and crossed her arms, pacing nervously in the driveway. Her eyes flickered toward the house where Dustin was pounding on the door, but no one seemed to be answering.

As Dove stared at the house, a familiar car pulled onto the street in front of the house. Her heart skipped a beat as she recognized Steve's BMW, the headlights cutting through the darkness as it rolled to a stop just a few feet away.

Steve stepped out of the car, looking a little more disheveled than usual. His hair, still somehow perfectly tousled, didn't match the look of uncertainty on his face. In his hand, he held a small bouquet of roses, and as Dove watched, he began pacing back and forth in front of his car, mumbling to himself. He was rehearsing something, repeating words under his breath that Dove couldn't quite make out.

Her brow furrowed in confusion as she observed the scene. What was he doing here?

Before she could fully process it, Dustin came rushing back down the driveway, a look of frustration plastered across his face. He hadn't gotten the help he'd hoped for, and it was clear he wasn't happy about it.

Dustin's expression shifted, his frustration giving way to a sudden spark of an idea when he spotted Steve pacing near the car. His eyes lit up as if a lightbulb had gone off, and Dove could practically see the gears turning in his head. Without breaking his stride, Dustin marched straight toward Steve, who had just stopped pacing and was about to head toward the front door.

"Steve," Dustin called out, his voice sharp with purpose. "Are those for Mr. or Mrs. Wheeler?"

Steve, mid-step, shot him a confused glance. "What? No..." He frowned, clearly thrown by the odd question.

"Good." Without hesitation, Dustin reached out and snatched the bouquet from Steve's hand, the flowers barely registering in his grip before he was already walking back toward Steve's car, like the flowers had been his all along.

"Hey—what the hell?" Steve started, his confusion deepening as he watched Dustin march off with the flowers. "Hey!"

"Nancy isn't home," Dustin tossed the explanation over his shoulder casually, as if this made everything perfectly reasonable. He didn't even glance back at Dove, who stood in the driveway, wide-eyed, watching the bizarre interaction unfold.

Steve blinked, his mouth hanging open in disbelief as he tried to process what had just happened. For a moment, he was frozen, his hand still half-raised where the bouquet had been. Then he turned slightly, his eyes landing on Dove for the first time.

There was a brief flicker of recognition in his expression—a flash of something that looked suspiciously like guilt. It was the kind of look you gave when you'd just been caught doing something you weren't supposed to. Dove raised an eyebrow, wondering what that look was all about. Why did Steve suddenly seem uncomfortable?

Before she could ask, Dustin was already halfway to Steve's car, motioning for them to follow. Steve rubbed the back of his neck, awkwardly shifting before letting out a sigh. "Alright, what's going on?" he muttered under his breath, clearly trying to regain control of the situation.

Dove didn't say anything as they moved toward the car, her mind still reeling from everything happening at once. She slid into the backseat as Steve and Dustin took the front, the weight of what was coming next hanging heavy in the air.

The air inside the car felt thick with tension. Dustin started to explain but Dove interrupted, her voice cutting through the silence.

"Wait. Just stop for a second." She leaned forward, her arms crossed over the back of Steve's seat, her brow furrowed. "What the hell are you two even talking about? Upside Down? Demogorgon? And since when do you two even know each other?"

Dustin and Steve exchanged a glance, both clearly uncomfortable under her gaze. Dove wasn't having it. She felt her pulse quicken, her confusion quickly turning into frustration. Dustin and Steve were talking like they'd been through some battle together.

Dustin shifted in his seat, running a hand through his curls, his face a mix of guilt and hesitation. "Okay.." he started, his voice softer now. "I guess I owe you the whole story."

And with that, Dustin began to explain everything—starting from when Will went missing last year. He laid it all out in front of her, recounting the harrowing tale of how they discovered the Upside Down, the Demogorgon, and the lab's involvement. He explained how they had fought against monsters from another dimension, how they had barely managed to survive—and how Steve had ended up involved too, helping them face down the Demogorgon to save Will.

Dove listened, her mind reeling as Dustin spoke. She tried to keep up with the flood of information—other dimensions, a girl with superpowers, secret government experiments—but it all felt like too much. The brother she thought she knew had been keeping a life-altering secret from her for almost a year, and Steve.. Steve had somehow been a part of it.

As Dustin wrapped up his explanation, Dove leaned back in her seat, her arms still crossed tightly. Her emotions were a whirlwind—confusion, fear, and, most of all, anger. She stared out the window, her mind racing.

Dustin had kept this from her. For a year. A whole year. And it wasn't just some silly secret; it was life-threatening. How could he have thought that was okay?

"So, let me get this straight," Dove finally said, her voice low but laced with anger. "You fought a monster from another dimension, and you didn't think to tell me? You just let me go on, clueless, while you almost died?"

Dustin winced, glancing back at her. "I didn't want you to get hurt, Dove. I thought.. if you didn't know, you'd be safe."

Dove shook her head, the anger simmering just below the surface. "Safe? Do you have any idea how stupid you sound? What if something had happened to you? What if you'd died?"

Dustin lowered his head, guilt clear on his face. But before he could say anything, Dove's attention shifted to Steve. She turned her gaze toward him, her voice trembling slightly as she spoke.

"And you—" Dove's words hung in the air for a moment as she struggled to articulate her frustration. "You've known all this time, and you didn't say anything? I didn't even know you and my brother had met outside of.. well, you know. Nancy."

Steve flinched at the mention of Nancy, and he glanced at Dove through the rearview mirror, looking like he wanted to defend himself but wasn't sure how.

"It wasn't my place," Steve muttered, his grip on the steering wheel tightening. "I didn't even know what to say. It's not like this stuff comes up in normal conversation, Dove."

"Not your place?" Dove scoffed, her voice rising with frustration. "We're talking about monsters and government cover-ups, Steve! You don't think that's something I should've known? That my brother was risking his life and I had no idea?"

Steve let out a sigh, his expression strained. "I get it, Dove. I get that you're pissed, and you have every right to be. But right now, we don't have time to fight about it. We need to figure out what to do with Dart before things get worse."

Dove clenched her jaw, her anger not quite dissipating but subsiding enough for her to nod in agreement. He was right. They didn't have time for this—not with Dart out there, not with the danger looming. But the hurt still lingered, sitting heavily in her chest.

The car pulled to a stop in front of Dustin and Dove's house, the headlights cutting through the darkness, illuminating the familiar front yard. The sun had long since set, leaving everything bathed in the shadows of the night. Without waiting for anyone, Dove shoved open the car door and stepped out, her face set in a storm of anger and determination. She slammed the door behind her with a loudthud, the noise echoing in the still air.

Without saying a word, she stormed toward the cellar, her footsteps heavy as she crossed the yard. Her heart pounded in her chest, not just from the adrenaline but from the lingering anger that had yet to fade. She felt betrayed—by Dustin, by Steve, by everything they hadn't told her. And now, there was no room for words, only action.

Reaching the spot where she had left it earlier, Dove grabbed the aluminum bat from the ground, her grip tightening around the cool metal. She turned back toward the house, waiting impatiently for the boys to catch up.

It didn't take long.

Steve was the first to approach, moving with a sense of purpose. In one hand, he held a flashlight, its beam cutting through the darkness, but it was the other hand that caught Dove's attention. Clutched in his grip was a wooden bat, nails sticking out from its surface in a crude but effective weapon. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing his forearms, tensed and ready for whatever they were about to face.

Steve caught Dove's eye as he walked toward her, his expression serious, but there was something else there too—something unspoken. He wasn't trying to justify himself anymore, and Dove didn't need him to. They both knew the time for explanations had passed. Now, it was about survival.

"You ready for this?" Steve asked, his voice low as he reached her.

Dove didn't answer right away, her gaze locked on the dark cellar door ahead of them. She could feel the weight of the bat in her hand, the tension in the air pressing down on her shoulders. She had no idea what they were about to face down there, but she knew one thing for certain—she wasn't going to be left in the dark anymore.

"Yeah," she said finally, her voice steady despite the turmoil raging inside her. "Let's end this."

Steve gave a slight nod, gripping the bat with both hands now as he turned his gaze toward the cellar. Behind them, Dustin hurried to catch up, but the air between Dove and Steve was thick with unspoken tension, with all the things they hadn't said.

"I don't hear shit," Steve said, his flashlight pointing at the lock on the cellar door.

"He's in there," Dustin said.

Steve looked between Dustin and Dove before poking the cellar door with his bat. Nothing. He lifted the bat above his head and swung it down, a loud bang reverberating through the air. Still nothing from inside.

"All right, listen, kid," Steve said, shining the light into Dustin's face. "I swear, if this is some sort of Halloween prank, you're dead."

"It's not," Dustin said.

Dove rolled her eyes and surged forward, her frustration getting the better of her. She lifted the bat above her head and swung it down with all her might, the lock shattering under the force. Both Steve and Dustin jumped, startled by her sudden move.

Without missing a beat, Dove started unwrapping the chains from the cellar doors, the sound of metal clinking as it hit the ground. She reached for the handle, but before she could pull the door open, Steve stepped forward, his hand catching hers.

"Let me do it," he insisted.

Dove paused, her grip still on the handle, but after a moment, she stepped back, letting Steve take over. He braced himself, gripping the doors tightly before yanking them open with a loud creak. The heavy doors groaned as they swung open, revealing the dark, empty staircase that led down into the cellar.

Steve shone the flashlight into the depths below, the beam barely penetrating the darkness.

"He must be further down there," Dustin said, peering over Steve's shoulder. "I'll stay up here in case he tries to escape."

"Jesus Christ," Dove muttered, rolling her eyes at Dustin's suggestion. She grabbed the flashlight from Steve's hand and, without waiting for anyone else, began descending the stairs. Her heart raced as she moved deeper into the cellar, her grip on the bat tightening in anticipation.

The beam of light bounced off the walls as she scanned the room below, her breath catching when it landed on a single lightbulb hanging from the ceiling. She reached up and tugged the string, and the dim bulb flickered on, casting an eerie glow over the space.

Dove recoiled when her eyes landed on a large, slimy piece of skin on the floor, glistening in the faint light. She felt her stomach turn as Steve appeared behind her, his bat raised as he poked at the slimy skin, his face twisting in disgust.

Dove pressed forward, moving further into the cellar, her heart pounding in her chest. Her steps slowed as she reached the far corner, and her breath caught when she finally saw the reason for the silence. "Dustin, you better get down here!" she yelled up to her brother, her voice tight with disbelief.

Dustin rushed down the stairs, stopping short when he saw what she was looking at. The concrete bricks in the far corner had been torn away, jagged and broken, with thick slime dripping from the edges. Dove stepped closer, her flashlight illuminating a tunnel that had been dug into the dirt, disappearing into the darkness beyond.

"What the hell.." she whispered, the sight of the tunnel sending a chill down her spine. The tunnel stretched further than she could see, a gaping hole that led to something far worse than she could ever imagine.