At Weathertop, the group worked in intense, focused silence, each one preparing their own makeshift weapons for the battle ahead. Nancy and Max huddled together, working steadily to saw off the barrel of the shotgun. A little ways off, Erica and Lucas were crafting crude spears, their hands moving quickly as they wrapped twine around large hunting knives, securing them to long sticks.

Steve and Robin sat just outside of the RV, carefully pouring gasoline into glass bottles and stuffing makeshift wicks into the tops, creating Molotov cocktails. They exchanged words now and then, their conversation tense.

Dove knelt with Eddie and Dustin, pounding nails through the tops of metal trash can lids, creating spiked shields. Each strike of the hammer was loud and sharp, echoing in the quiet, adding to the weight of the moment. As she hammered, her gaze drifted over to Steve, her thoughts wandering back to the conversation they'd had in the RV—the way he'd admitted his dream of having a family, his nervous implication of her place in his future. She wasn't sure how to feel about it, but it surprised her how she wasn't as against the idea as she'd imagined. The thought of sharing a life with him, building something stable and real, lingered in her mind. She could still picture the look on his face when he'd confessed his love for her months earlier, but also his expression after she broke his heart.

Eddie and Dustin were watching her with grins, clearly having noticed her distraction. "You spacing out on us?" Eddie asked, raising an eyebrow. "Or just daydreaming about a certain someone?"

Dove rolled her eyes, trying to hide her smile. "Shut up, Eddie." She said, shaking her head and laughing despite herself. She returned her focus to the shield, her heart beating a little faster. Just as she hammered in the last nail, Eddie grabbed the shield out of her hands, holding it up and waving it around with exaggerated flair, as if he were preparing for battle.

Dustin raised an eyebrow. "How's she feel?"

Eddie inspected the shield with a grin. "Light," he said, giving it a couple of experimental swipes through the air. "But durable." He shoved it up, striking an imaginary foe. "Deadly.. but reliable."

Dove smiled, watching Dustin as he looked up at Eddie with an expression that could only be described as pure admiration, his eyes bright with excitement as he chuckled at Eddie's antics. For a moment, she felt a warm, unexpected surge of affection for the two of them—their bond, their ability to find humor even in a situation as dire as this one.

Then, with a dramatic flourish, Eddie stepped up onto a nearby milk crate, raising the shield high above his head as he turned to face them, his voice booming.

"Hear me now! There will be no more retreating from Eddie the Banished!" He proclaimed, his tone grand and theatrical.

Dustin's face lit up, his grin widening as he stepped closer, clearly captivated by Eddie's dramatic speech. "You're really ready forbat-tle," he said with a chuckle.

Eddie turned to look at him, eyebrows raised, obviously confused. Dustin's smile faltered. "You get it?Bat-tle.B-A-T. No?" He glanced around, his confidence wavering as he set down his shield, looking at the ground in defeat. "I thought I had a good one," he mumbled.

Dustin didn't notice Eddie getting ready to pounce until it was too late. With a sudden roar, Eddie lunged at him, sending Dustin stumbling backward, laughter spilling out as the two wrestled in the grass.

Dustin managed to break free. "You son of a bitch." Dustin laughed, breathless, before lunging at Eddie in retaliation. The two grappled playfully, neither truly trying to gain the upper hand, just caught up in the energy and silliness of the Dove watched Dustin and Eddie, a warm, bittersweet feeling welled up inside could tell that Dustin idolized Eddie, and she saw how Eddie, in his own quirky way, was trying to give Dustin a piece of normalcy, a bit of fun that had nothing to do with monsters or life-threatening battles.

As Eddie reached toward Dustin's waistband, Dustin's eyes widened, and he yelled, "No wedgies! No wedgies!" His laughter was nearly breathless, but Eddie paused, his hand shifting up to grip the back of Dustin's neck instead. He held him steady, looking directly into Dustin's eyes, his voice soft but firm.

"Never change, Dustin Henderson," he said, his tone carrying a sudden seriousness. They were both panting, the moment heavy and unexpectedly tender. Eddie brushed a stray piece of hair from his mouth, his gaze steady. "Promise me?"

Dustin's face softened as he met Eddie's eyes, nodding with a small smile. "I wasn't planning on it."

Dove understood the gravity behind that promise, the silent acknowledgment that this fight might take parts of them they could never get back. She wondered if any of them would truly stay the same after everything was over. But watching Dustin's wide-eyed, hopeful expression as he agreed, she felt a renewed determination. She realized that this moment, this bond between Eddie and Dustin, was a reminder of the humanity they had to protect.

"Alright, you two," Dove said, hands on her hips as she looked at them with a mock-serious expression. "Time to get back to work." Eddie and Dustin, both still grinning and slightly out of breath, exchanged sheepish glances before straightening up.

Dove stepped forward, her gaze falling on the empty box of nails at her feet. "I'll be right back," she said, giving them a nod as she turned toward the RV to grab another box.

The warm breeze rustled through the leaves overhead as she walked, the laughter fading behind her. As she reached the RV and climbed inside, the sudden quiet felt like stepping out of a bubble, the reality of their situation settling back over her. She grabbed a fresh box of nails, pausing for a moment to steady herself, her fingers brushing over the smooth cardboard.

For a second, she let herself imagine a world where this wasn't preparation for a deadly fight, but for something more innocent, like a summer adventure. She took a deep breath, holding onto that feeling before making her way toward the door, her grip firm on the box of nails, her heart set on protecting every piece of the world they still had left.

As Dove stepped out of the RV, she nearly bumped into Steve, who stopped her with a curious look. "Hey, Dove.. you ever seen Fast Times?"

She shrugged, nodding. "Yeah."

Steve leaned in, a hint of mischief in his eyes. "What do you think it means if someone pauses the movie at exactly 53 minutes and 5 seconds?"

Robin, standing nearby, looked horrified, her mouth dropping open as she glared at Steve. Dove, however, just blinked, clearly lost. "Uh.. what exactly happens at 53 minutes and 5 seconds?" she asked, her brows furrowing in confusion.

Steve sighed, shaking his head. "Phoebe Cates takes off her bikini top."

Dove's confusion deepened as she tried to make sense of it. "Okay.. so?"

Steve leaned forward, looking her in the eyes, clearly hoping for a lightbulb moment. "So, what do you think it means if someone pauses the movie there?"

Dove shrugged again, still not quite sure what he was getting at. "I guess.. that they want to see Phoebe Cates' boobs?"

Steve nodded emphatically, turning to Robin with a satisfied look. "Exactly! So you'd say that this hypothetical person.. likes boobies?"

Dove chuckled, a little bemused by the whole thing. "Uh, yeah, I guess so."

Steve grinned, clapping his hands together. "See?" he said, pointing to Robin, who rolled her eyes with a look of exasperated disbelief.

Dove, still a bit perplexed by her conversation with Steve, made her way back over to Dustin and Eddie. The two of them were now fully immersed in an elaborate, imaginary battle, Dustin wielding his spiked trash can lid like a knight's shield while Eddie charged forward with exaggerated movements. Dove smiled as she watched them, grateful for the brief moments of levity amid the tension.

As the last of their preparations wrapped up, the sun dipped lower, casting a warm, orange glow over the clearing. The sky was streaked with shades of amber and pink, a stark contrast to the dark reality they were about to face. One by one, they loaded back into the RV, settling into a tense silence as Steve turned the key in the ignition and started the drive. The weight of the upcoming battle pressed down on them, thick and suffocating, stealing away any words that might have broken the quiet.

Eventually, the RV pulled up in front of the Creel house, its dark, looming silhouette casting long shadows across the yard. Erica, Lucas, and Max climbed out, preparing to head to their designated positions. Dove leaned out the window, catching Max's eye.

"Don't die, alright?" Dove said, her voice softer than usual, the gravity of the moment underlying her words.

Max turned, giving her a faint smile and a small nod. "Right back at you," she replied, her voice steady but laced with the same hint of uncertainty they all felt. She held Dove's gaze for a beat longer before turning away, disappearing into the twilight as Steve drove on.

Steve guided the RV into a clearing near the trailer park as dusk settled in, casting long shadows across the trees. The group sat in tense silence, each preparing mentally for what lay ahead. Nancy stood up, determination hardening her expression as she looked around at each of them.

"Okay," she began, her voice steady. "I want to run through it one more time. Phase one."

Robin nodded, glancing between the group. "We meet Erica at the playground. She'll signal Max and Lucas when we're ready."

Nancy gave a firm nod of approval. "Phase two."

Steve, an axe sticking out of his bag, spoke up. "Max baits Vecna. He'll go after her, which will put him in his trance."

Nancy's gaze shifted to Dustin. "Phase three?"

Dustin's eyes sparkled with a mix of excitement and fear. "Eddie and I draw the bats away."

Robin held up a Molotov cocktail, giving a slight, determined smirk. "Four. We head into Vecna's newly bat-free lair and.. flambé."

Nancy looked around, her voice serious and clear. "Nobody moves on to the next phase until we've all copied. Nobody deviates from the plan, no matter what. Got it?"

A chorus of "Got it" followed, each of them bracing for the weight of what was to come.

They moved quietly out of the RV, the weight of the mission pressing down as they walked the short distance through the woods and into the trailer park. When they reached Eddie's trailer, they slipped inside, each settling into a tense silence. Steve flicked the light on and shrugged off his bag, setting it aside as he stretched, loosening up.

"Be careful," Dustin muttered, watching him with wide eyes.

Steve gave him a quick, reassuring grin. "Thanks, buddy." He grabbed hold of the sheet rope still dangling from the ceiling, climbing up with practiced ease. With a fluid motion, he flipped himself through the gate into the Upside Down, landing squarely on his feet.

Robin rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "Woo, what does he want us to do, applaud?"

Steve smirked, dragging a dingy mattress under the gate as he looked back at them. "All right. Let's go."

Nancy shrugged off her bag and stepped forward, pulling herself up through the gate. She fell onto the mattress, and Steve reached down, helping her up as she dusted herself off. Eddie followed, giving Steve a nod of thanks when he landed.

Dove climbed up next, feeling a small thrill of anxiety as she passed through the gate and dropped onto the mattress below. Steve helped her up, and she steadied herself before moving aside to make room for Robin. Robin followed, muttering a sarcastic "Here goes nothing" before slipping through the gate and onto the mattress with a soft thud.

Once they were all through, Dustin tossed their bags and supplies up, each item landing with a soft thud in the Upside Down. Finally, he climbed up the sheet rope, pulling himself into the shadowy, distorted mirror of the world above. With everyone accounted for, they took a collective breath, steeling themselves for the next phase of the plan.

As they stepped outside, Steve turned back to Dustin and Eddie, his face serious, his voice low. "Hey, guys, listen. If things here start to go south, I mean, at all, you abort. Okay? Draw the attention of the bats, keep them busy for a minute or two. We'll take care of Vecna. Don't try to be cute or be a hero or something, okay? You guys are just-"

"Decoys," Dustin finished, his voice steady but filled with a hint of reluctance. He managed a small, reassuring smile. "Don't worry. You can be the hero, Steve."

Eddie nodded in agreement, looking Steve up and down with a smirk. "Absolutely. I mean, look at us." He glanced at Dustin. "We arenotheroes."

Dove stepped forward, casting a firm, understanding glance between the two of them. "Nobody's gonna try and be a hero." She pulled Dustin into a tight hug, her hand lingering on his shoulder. "Be careful." Dustin nodded, his expression softening as she turned to Eddie, wrapping him in a quick hug. "And don't die, alright?"

Eddie chuckled, giving her a small nod, his expression sincere. "You either," he replied, squeezing her shoulder gently before they pulled apart. "Make him pay,"

There was a shared understanding among them—a final, silent promise to each other as they braced themselves for what was to come.