The air in Eddie's trailer buzzed with frantic energy as the group scrambled, their voices overlapping in desperation. Books, tapes, and scraps of paper littered the floor, the chaos reflecting the urgency that filled the room.
Robin's voice cut through the clatter, sharp and panicked. "Where's the music? We need something she knows!"
On the other side of the portal, Steve Harrington knelt beside Nancy in the Upside Down. Her body was rigid, her eyes rolled back, and her breathing was shallow. Steve shook her gently, his voice thick with worry.
"Nancy, just stay with me. Stay with me, okay?" His words cracked as fear seeped into his tone.
She didn't respond. Her head lolled unnaturally, and her body felt too still under his hands. Steve turned toward the glowing portal above him, his desperation boiling over.
"Whatever you guys are doing, hurry up!" he shouted, his voice raw as it echoed faintly in the suffocating air of the Upside Down.
Above, Erica bolted down the hallway of Eddie's trailer, her sneakers skidding slightly on the worn carpet as she yelled back over her shoulder.
"Steve says you need to hurry!" Her voice cut through the pandemonium like a shot, sharp and insistent.
Dustin's head snapped up, his face twisting in frustration. "Yeah? No shit!" he screeched, his voice breaking as he tore through yet another pile of cassettes.
He froze for half a second, his gaze darting to Eddie, eyes narrowing with suspicion. "Where's Ursula?" he demanded, the question sharp and accusing. "Did you find her?"
Eddie faltered, his frantic movements stalling as guilt flashed across his face. His jaw tightened, and when he finally spoke, his voice was low, laced with frustration and self-recrimination.
"No. We didn't find her." His hands curled into fists at his sides before he turned, snapping his gaze toward the glowing portal. "But we're going back."
His voice sharpened, the weight of his resolve cutting through the chaos. "We're not leaving her in there."
From the other side of the portal, Steve's muffled voice echoed faintly, his shouting growing more frantic by the second.
Erica planted herself in the middle of the trailer, her hands on her hips. "You better hurry the hell up," she snapped, looking from one panicked face to the next. "He's losing his shit in there."
"We're trying!" Max yelled, her voice strained as she shoved aside another haphazard stack of tapes. She and Robin rifled through Eddie's cluttered collection, their movements growing more frantic by the second. "We can't find anything!"
Robin growled under her breath, frustration spilling over as she shook an armful of metal cassettes like they were trash. "I mean seriously? What is all this shit?"
Eddie froze mid-step, his head whipping around to glare at Robin, panic flashing in his eyes. "What are you even looking for?!"
"Madonna, Blondie, Bowie, Beatles!" Robin practically threw the tapes in her hands onto the floor. "Music! We need MUSIC!"
Eddie stormed toward the shelf, grabbing a handful of cassettes like they were sacred relics. He shook them in both hands as he glared back at Robin. "THIS IS MUSIC!!!"
Without hesitation, he shoved a random tape into Max's hands. "Here, try this!"
Max fumbled with the Walkman, her fingers trembling as she scrambled to load the tape. "Ursula would never treat my music like this," Eddie muttered under his breath, his tone a mix of annoyance and worry.
The tension in the room thickened as the group collectively held its breath, waiting for the Walkman to whir to life.
Steve's knuckles whitened as he gripped Nancy's shoulders, his heart pounding in rhythm with her shallow, uneven breaths.
Her face was pale, her body too still for comfort, and the oppressive air of the Upside Down pressed heavier on him with every passing second.
"Nancy!" he shouted, his voice cracking under the weight of his desperation. "Stay with me!"
Suddenly, Nancy's body jerked violently. Her head snapped forward, and her eyes flew open as a guttural gasp tore from her lips.
Steve gripped her tighter, relief flooding his voice as he leaned closer. "Nancy! Hey, you're back. It's okay—you're okay."
But her wild, frantic gaze locked onto his, and she shook her head fiercely. "No—it's not okay!" she gasped, her voice high-pitched and disjointed. "He's… he's everywhere! The vines, they're—oh God, he's—"
"Easy, Nance," Steve cut in, his voice steady but taut with strain. "You're safe. Just breathe. Just breathe, okay?"
Her body trembled under his grip, her breaths ragged as she struggled to process what she'd seen.
Steve didn't let go, his hands firm on her shoulders as he guided her toward the glowing portal above. Nancy thrashed slightly, her movements erratic, still caught in the haze of Vecna's grip. Her words tumbled out in disjointed fragments, half to herself.
"It's all connected," she muttered, her voice quivering. "That house, the vines, the—the shadows… He knows. He knows."
Steve pushed her gently upward, his muscles straining as he supported her weight. "We're getting you out of here," he said firmly, his voice rising to reassure her. "Just keep going."
The moment Nancy reached the other side, Dustin and Robin were there, their hands grabbing hold of her and pulling her through.
Nancy collapsed onto the floor of Eddie's trailer, gasping for air as the Right Side Up reassembled around her. Her trembling form was surrounded by worried faces, but the memory of the vines and shadows lingered, vivid and inescapable.
Nancy stumbled to her feet, her arms wrapping tightly around herself as if to hold her body together. She began pacing erratically, her voice breaking as it spilled out in frantic, disjointed bursts.
"He's everywhere," she said, her breathing ragged. "He's got her. I don't know how, but he's got her. And he's… he's using her!"
The others exchanged alarmed glances before surrounding her, their voices overlapping in desperation as they tried to make sense of her words.
"Nancy, slow down!" Dustin pleaded, his hands hovering as if he wasn't sure whether to grab her or back away. "Who's got who? What are you talking about?"
"Just stop for a second and breathe!" Max added, her own voice wavering as she stood beside Robin.
"Nancy!" Robin's tone was sharper, cutting through the panic. "What did you see?"
Nancy didn't answer. Her pacing grew more erratic, her arms tightening around herself as her breathing quickened. Her eyes darted around the room, unfocused, wild.
"It's too late," she gasped, her voice rising. "It's too late. He knows. He knows everything. And she—"
She froze mid-step, her gaze snapping to Eddie like a magnet. The room went silent, the chaos collapsing into a single, suffocating moment.
Eddie's face twisted in confusion as Nancy's frantic expression crumbled. Tears spilled down her cheeks, her voice breaking as she choked out the words.
"Oh, Eddie," she whispered. "He got her."
The color drained from Eddie's face. His body went rigid, his jaw clenching as panic flared in his eyes. "What are you saying?" he asked, his voice low and trembling.
Nancy broke into full sobs, doubling over as the weight of what she had seen crashed over her.
Eddie took a sharp step toward the portal, his voice rising, raw and furious. "I'm going back. Right now. Tell me where she is."
Steve moved quickly, grabbing Eddie's arm to hold him back. "Eddie, don't—"
Eddie shoved Steve off, his voice erupting with frustration. "She's in there, isn't she? Tell me where the fuck she is, Nancy!"
Nancy straightened slightly, wiping at her tear-streaked face with trembling hands. She forced herself to speak, her words faltering. "She saved me," she said hoarsely. "She… she got in. She severed his hold on me."
Eddie's fists clenched, his voice trembling with a mix of hope and dread. "Then where is she?"
Nancy shook her head violently, her voice cracking under the strain. "He saw her," she said, her sobs threatening to take over. "He—he grabbed her. Those vines, they—they went into her. INTO her. They went into her mouth…" Her voice hitched, turning into a horrified gasp. "Oh my god. They were going under her sleep shorts. And I couldn't stop him. I couldn't do anything!"
Eddie's face twisted in anguish, his voice breaking as it rose to a shout. "We're going back! Right NOW!"
Nancy took a shaky step toward him, her hands outstretched in a pleading motion. "No! You can't!" she cried. "Don't you get it? She knew what she was doing! She took the risk of being seen to tell us not to go after her!"
Eddie shook his head violently, his whole body trembling with barely contained fury. His voice cracked as he shouted, raw and desperate.
"I don't fucking care! Do you have any idea what's happening to her right now? What he's doing to her?!"
Nancy flinched at his words, but she held her ground. Her voice rose to meet his, firm and unyielding.
"Yes, Eddie! I do!" she snapped, her hands balling into fists at her sides. "I saw it! And she still told me to tell you to fucking wait. She knew we can't just rush in without a plan."
Eddie's eyes burned with anger, his gaze fixed on her like a blade. He took a step forward, his words sharp and biting.
"When?" he hissed. "Before or after she was…" He hesitated, the words catching in his throat for a moment before he spat them out, venomous and bitter. "—getting deep-throated by a fucking tentacle monster?!"
The room went silent.
Nancy stiffened, her face paling for a brief second before her own anger surged to the surface. She took a step toward Eddie, her voice trembling but resolute.
"She knew the risks, Eddie," she said her tone hard. "She knew exactly what she was doing!"
Eddie scoffed bitterly, throwing his hands in the air as his voice grew louder. "And that makes it better? That makes it okay for us to leave her there?!"
"She knew the risk!" Nancy's voice cracked, but she didn't back down. "She's buying us time, Eddie. If we go in now, it's over for all of us. That's what she wanted me to tell you."
Eddie stopped pacing, his shoulders heaving as the fight drained from him.
He stumbled back a step, his voice hoarse and raw.
"You're asking me to leave her in there," he whispered, his chest rising and falling as the weight of the words settled over him.
Nancy nodded reluctantly, tears streaming freely down her face.
"I fucking love her, you know." Eddie's voice broke, tears spilling down his cheeks as he looked at Nancy, his expression devastated. "I would fucking die for her. And you're asking me to leave her in there?"
Nancy's voice softened, trembling but resolute. "I'm asking you to trust her."
Eddie stumbled back further, his hands pressing to his forehead as the words sank in. He swallowed hard, his voice low and broken.
"Goddamn it, Nancy," he muttered.
Her gaze stayed steady, though her whole body trembled. "We can't go back there. Not without a plan. If you go in now, you'll just get yourself killed. And then what was all this for?"
Eddie didn't respond, his jaw tightening as silent tears ran down his face. The room stayed heavy with the weight of her words.
Dustin's voice broke the heavy silence, steady despite the fear flickering in his eyes. "We'll figure this out," he said firmly. "We'll get her back."
Robin nodded, stepping forward and placing a hand on Eddie's trembling shoulder. "But not like this," she said, her voice resolute. "We need a plan."
Eddie exhaled shakily, his fists still clenched, his knuckles white. He didn't respond immediately, but after a long, tense moment, he gave a slight nod.
"Whatever it takes," he murmured, his voice hoarse but filled with fire. "We're getting her back."
The room fell into silence again, the weight of their shared resolve hanging heavily between them. Eddie moved to sit on the couch, his breathing uneven and his face pale, but the fierce determination in his eyes hadn't dimmed. Robin sat beside him, her hand remaining on his shoulder in quiet support.
The group exchanged uneasy glances, the tension thick and suffocating. Finally, Dustin spoke again, his tone tentative but resolute. "So… what IS the plan?"
Nancy wiped at her tear-streaked face, her hands trembling as she struggled to compose herself. She inhaled deeply, grounding herself before she began pacing the room. Her voice was steadier now, though the weight of what she had seen still clung to every word.
"We need to understand what we're up against," she said, her gaze darting between the others. "I—I saw him. What he can do. And what he's doing to her."
Erica stepped forward, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, her expression hard and focused. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice taut with barely restrained anger. "What is he doing to her?"
Eddie shot to his feet, his hands gripping his hair as he began pacing. He spun back toward Nancy, his voice sharp and demanding. "Tell me everything, Nancy," he growled. "Every goddamn detail. What did he do to her?"
Nancy's breath hitched, her composure faltering under the weight of his demand. She opened her mouth to respond but faltered, her gaze dropping.
Robyn stepped beside her, placing a firm hand on her shoulder. "Nancy…" she said softly, her voice steady despite the tension in the room. "He needs to know. We all do."
Nancy paced the room, her arms hugging tightly around herself as if to hold the pieces of herself together. Her face was pale, her expression distant, and her voice came out shaky and fragmented when she began to speak.
"I—I don't even know if it stopped," she stammered, her breath hitching as her eyes darted toward the floor. "The moment I got out, I couldn't see anymore. But when I was there… he saw her."
The room grew impossibly still. Everyone leaned in, their anxiety palpable as the weight of her words hung in the air.
"Nancy," Dustin pressed, his voice low but steady. "You've gotta tell us everything. What did you see?"
She nodded slowly, her jaw tightening as she tried to steady herself. Her pacing slowed as she inhaled deeply, letting her analytical side take over. It was the only way she could push through the chaos in her mind.
"It was Steve's pool…" Nancy began, her voice trembling as she recalled the scene. "But it wasn't. Everything was twisted. Wrong." Her eyes glazed over as the memory unfolded, each word dragging her deeper into it. "Barb's body—she was there. Decayed, bloated… she rose from the water, and he…"
Her voice faltered, cracking as her throat tightened. She stopped pacing for a moment, taking another deep breath to force herself onward.
"He used her… Barb," she said finally, her voice trembling but clear. "To make me feel it again—the guilt, the failure. It was all he needed to hold me there."
The group listened in silence, their faces pale as Nancy painted the nightmarish scene. Her words hung heavy in the air, the horror of what she had endured settling over them like a dark cloud.
Nancy's tone softened, her pacing slowing as her gaze grew distant. Her voice carried a fragile awe as she recounted the moment Ursula appeared.
"Then she was there. Ursula," Nancy said, her words barely above a whisper. "At first, I thought I was imagining her, but… it was real. She stepped out of the shadows, like she was part of them."
She paused, hugging her arms tightly as if the memory itself was holding her together. Her voice dropped even lower as she explained the connection they'd shared.
"She didn't say anything—she didn't have to. We just… understood. She gave me this look, like, 'You're not alone in this.'"
Nancy's lips twitched into a faint, bitter smile, a flicker of humor breaking through the tension. "And then she mouthed… 'Get the lead out.'"
A pained laugh escaped Eddie as he shook his head, his voice cracking. "God, I fucking love that girl," he muttered, his fists clenching at his sides.
Nancy glanced at him briefly before continuing, her voice steadier now. "I didn't understand at first, but then it clicked. She wanted me to sing. To fight him with music."
The group exchanged uneasy glances, the skepticism palpable. Max broke the silence, her brow furrowed. "That actually worked?"
Nancy nodded. "It worked for her. And it worked for me, too. Somehow."
Her voice grew more confident as she recounted the moment, the memory sharpening in her mind. "I started singing 'We Belong,.'You know, the Pat Benetar song? And then she joined in. Her voice… it wasn't just beautiful. It was like, powerful. Like it wasn't just a song—it was a weapon."
Nancy's voice cracked slightly as she hesitated, the weight of her next words pressing down on her. "She changed the lyrics, though. She was sending me a message. Telling me not to come back for her. Telling all of us to stay away."
Her tone trembled as she described Vecna's reaction. "He didn't know she changed the words, but like, the singing… It rattled him. You could see it—he was… scared. I think he's never faced anything like her before. The whole thing he had us trapped in started to break, like he couldn't control it anymore."
Eddie's fists clenched tighter, the knuckles white as Nancy continued.
"But he recovered fast," she said, her voice dropping again. "And when he did…"
Nancy's breath quickened, her voice trembling as she recounted the moment Vecna's focus shifted to Ursula.
"She activated her shield," she said, her words shaky but determined. "Severed his hold on me completely. But the second she did, he turned on her."
Her voice broke, tears spilling freely as she pressed on. "Those vines—they just… they came out of nowhere. They grabbed her, slammed her against the ground and dragged her up the wall. They went into her—her mouth, into her shirt, up her legs and into her shorts…"
She faltered, her body trembling as she tried to force the words out. "And I couldn't do anything. I couldn't stop him."
Nancy choked back a sob, her breathing uneven as she described the last thing she had seen. "He silenced her. The vines… they were everywhere. And her eyes… she looked at me like she knew. Like she knew what was coming. She looked… resigned."
Her voice dropped to a whisper, barely audible. "And then I was out. The scene was gone. She was gone."
Nancy's arms wrapped tightly around herself as she fell silent, trembling, the weight of the memory crushing her.
The group was stunned into silence. No one moved, the gravity of her words settling over them like a storm cloud.
Eddie's face twisted in anguish, his jaw tight as his voice came out low and hoarse. "And you're still telling me we're supposed to just leave her there?"
Nancy looked up, meeting his tortured gaze. She took a deep, shaky breath, willing herself to hold together.
"No, Eddie," she said quietly, her voice trembling but resolute. "That's not what I'm saying. I still think we should trust her."
Nancy began pacing again, her arms crossed tightly as her analytical mind took over, pulling her thoughts into sharper focus. "There's something else though…He was surprised to see her," she said, her tone thoughtful but edged with tension. "That doesn't make sense, does it? If he'd had her this whole time, why would he be shocked by her being there?"
The group leaned in, their unease growing as they followed her line of thinking.
"I don't think any of that actually happened—not physically, at least," Nancy continued. Her voice grew steadier as the pieces clicked into place. "The pool, the vines, the attack… it was all in my head."
Eddie's jaw tightened, and his voice was sharp with frustration. "And that makes it better how, exactly?"
Nancy stopped pacing, turning to face him directly. Her voice was steady but carried urgency. "It isbetter. Don't you see? That entire scene—it existed in my mind. Once the connection was severed, it couldn't exist anymore. There was no space for it to hold either of us."
Dustin, ever the optimist, spoke up, his tone lighter but laced with hope. "I'd bet you anything that the second the connection broke, she was out of there."
Robin cut through the moment, her tone blunt and slicing through the tension. "Wait. If the connection broke and Ursula was freed, then so was Vecna."
The group exchanged uneasy glances, the weight of Robin's words pressing down on them.
Erica tilted her head, her brow furrowing as she frowned. "So, what? They were both up there? At the same time?"
Dustin nodded quickly, his expression hopeful. "Yeah, but Ursula can shadow-walk, right? Just vanish into thin air?"
Nancy shook her head, her voice steady but tinged with worry. "It's not that simple," she said, her tone soft but firm. "She's like El—her powers drain her. I noticed she was wiping blood from her nose before everything went dark. She was depleted. Completely."
Steve stepped forward, his voice cutting through the rising tension. "Look, whether she's trapped or a prisoner, does it really matter? Either way, we need to figure out how to get her back."
Eddie let out a ragged breath, his fists clenching at his sides. He glanced at Steve, and for a brief moment, a flicker of respect crossed his face. "There goes Harrington," he muttered, his voice low but clear. "Being a solid fucking dude again."
He turned back to the group, his voice rising with determination. "Dustin called it. No matter what it takes, we're not leaving her there."
The group exchanged a look, the weight of their unspoken agreement settling heavily in the air. No one needed to say it. The decision had already been made.