Nancy Wheeler knelt in the suffocating tableau of Steve Harrington's backyard, her knees pressing into the pulsating ground.
The black water of the pool rippled unnaturally, sending sharp waves of malice through the air. Above her, the sky churned with blood-red light, the storm clouds of the Upside Down flashing with violent streaks of lightning.
Barb Holland's decayed form rose from the water, grotesque and bloated, her empty eye sockets fixed on Nancy with silent accusation. Nancy's breath hitched as the vines around her wrists and ankles tightened, glowing faintly crimson as if feeding on her growing terror.
From the shadows, Vecna's skeletal frame emerged, his voice a low, venomous rasp that echoed across the tableau. "You think defiance will save you, Nancy? You will drown in your failures."
Nancy whimpered, her head shaking in desperate denial as Vecna stepped closer. Her chest heaved with panic, the oppressive weight of her guilt pressing her into the ground.
In the attic of the Creel House, Ursula Henderson crouched in silence, shrouded in shadow. Her shield cloaked her like a second skin, rendering her unseen by Vecna. But she knew the limits of her protection—it was fragile, a razor-thin thread that could snap if she made a single wrong move.
Her heart pounded as she watched the vision below, her sharp gaze darting between Nancy and Vecna. The sight of Barb's bloated form made Ursula's stomach churn, but she forced the emotion down, burying it beneath cold focus.
She remembered reading about this moment from the original timeline. Vecna's whole twisted villain origin monologue, his grotesque display—it had all been meant to convey a message to Eleven. He'd let Nancy go after breaking her mind, leaving her traumatized but alive.
But this wasn't the original timeline.
Ursula tightened her grip on the floorboards, her breathing slow and deliberate. She couldn't trust that things would play out the same way. Not with all the changes she had made to the timeline. Vecna's message could be different this time. He could decide to turn Nancy into an example—to show them all what happens when they dare to intervene.
Nancy's knees pressed harder into the pulsating floor, the grotesque surface seeming to writhe beneath her. She couldn't tell if it was alive or just another cruel trick of the Upside Down, but the sensation made her stomach boil.
Above her, the sky rumbled with blood-red fury, the jagged flashes of lightning momentarily illuminating the decayed figure of Barb as it loomed closer.
Barb's empty, accusing eye sockets seemed to bore into her once again, the silence more damning than any words. Nancy's breath came in short, shallow bursts as the vines around her wrists and ankles tightened, their faint crimson glow pulsating in sync with her rising panic. She tried to pull free, but the bindings felt like iron, unyielding as they fed on her fear.
From the shadows, Vecna emerged fully, his skeletal frame grotesquely elongated and dripping with menace.
The unnatural lightning carved sharp lines across his pale, cracked skin, casting eerie shadows that made his form seem even more monstrous.
"You think defiance will save you, Nancy?" Vecna's voice was a venomous rasp, each word dripping with cruel satisfaction as he took another step closer. His head tilted slightly, as if savoring her despair. "You will drown in your failures."
Nancy's head shook frantically, tears stinging her eyes. "No," she whispered, though her voice barely carried over the oppressive silence. "No, I didn't-"
Vecna chuckled darkly, the sound hollow and inhuman. "But you did," he hissed. "You let her die. And now, you will pay the price."
Barb's decayed hand broke through the surface of the pool with a sickening splash, water and bits of flesh sloughing off as she clawed her way toward Nancy.
Nancy's sobs turned into choking gasps, her body trembling as she tried to press herself backward, away from the nightmare that was closing in around her.
A flicker of movement disrupted the shadows, barely more than a shadow shifting in the blood-red haze. Ursula materialized within the twisted vision, her form rippling and flickering as if caught between two worlds. The edges of her figure seemed to blur into the oppressive air, but her presence was unmistakable.
Nancy's wide, frantic eyes snapped toward her, locking on as if her life depended on it. For a moment, the suffocating weight pressing on her chest lightened, the crushing despair loosening its hold.
Ursula's expression remained steady, her sharp gaze cutting through the chaos like a blade. She raised a single finger to her lips, a silent command for Nancy to stay calm.
Despite the grotesque scene surrounding her, Ursula exuded an aura of quiet assurance, her presence a thread of stability in the storm.
Nancy's panicked breathing slowed, the spark of hope flickering in her chest for the first time since the nightmare began.
Ursula's gaze locked onto Nancy, her lips moving silently. "Get the led out," she mouthed, her expression firm, leaving no room for argument.
Nancy's breath hitched, her trembling body suddenly stilling as the command registered. Her thoughts stumbled over themselves. What? She can't be telling me to sing at this guy!
Yet, the lyrics to "We Belong" by Pat Benatar began to bubble up in her mind, unbidden but persistent. She could almost hear the song's melody, the rhythm creeping into her consciousness.
A part of her balked. Singing? Now? The absurdity of it twisted her fear into something close to disbelief. But then the memory surged—Ursula's retelling of her own victory against Vecna. That grin. That maddening, cocky confidence as she'd wielded music like a weapon, turning sound into defiance.
Nancy clenched her fists, forcing her shaking hands to still. Her lips parted as she took a deep, unsteady breath. The song was there, waiting. It wasn't a weapon she would've chosen, but it was the only one she had.
She closed her eyes, the melody threading its way through her thoughts. At first, her voice wavered, hesitant and soft, barely audible against the heavy silence of Vecna's domain.
"We belong to the light, we belong to the thunder…"
Her tone cracked, uneven, but she didn't stop. The memory of the song's strength urged her forward, and with every note, her voice grew steadier.
"We belong to the sound of the words we've both fallen under…"
Nancy's breath came easier now, the raw defiance in her tone cutting through the oppressive weight that had suffocated her moments before.
"Whatever we deny or embrace, for worse or for better…"
Her voice gained strength, not perfect, but powerful in its conviction. The tableau seemed to tremble around her, the unrelenting silence fracturing under her words.
"We belong, we belong, we belong together."
The words echoed, vibrating through the suffocating air, breaking against Vecna's power like a battering ram.
The air around them shuddered violently, the pulsating ground beneath Nancy jolting as if in protest. Vecna's head snapped toward her, his hollow eyes narrowing with seething fury.
"What is this nonsense?" he snarled, his voice reverberating through the oppressive air, dripping with venomous disbelief.
The vines gripping Nancy faltered, their movements erratic and jerking as though momentarily confused. The tableau rippled with instability—the black pool's surface trembled unnaturally, and Barb's grotesque, decayed form flickered in and out of focus like a failing projection.
"You think this will save you?" Vecna's voice was sharper now, the edges tinged with a rage that crackled through the suffocating atmosphere.
But as the vines writhed, their once-unyielding grip weakening, there was something beneath Vecna's fury. A deeper, sharper emotion.
Fear.
Nancy caught it—the slight twitch of his skeletal fingers, the flicker of doubt that passed through his hollow gaze before he could mask it. For the first time, she saw something she hadn't expected.
He wasn't invincible.
Across the tableau, Ursula's sharp eyes locked onto Vecna, her shadowed form still flickering and partially obscured. She tilted her head slightly, taking in his reaction—the flicker of doubt, the skeletal twitch of his fingers. Her lips twitched into a small, knowing smile.
"Close your eyes and try to sleep now."
Nancy noticed it. Their eyes met, just for a moment, but it was enough.
"Close your eyes and try to dream."
The shared realization sparked like a flame between them, fanning a surge of confidence in both women.
"Clear your mind and do your best to try and wash the palette clean."
Nancy's voice grew louder, steadier. She leaned fully into the absurdity of it, belting out the lyrics with reckless abandon. Her smile sharpened, her defiance tangible as her voice took on depth and tone, the words filling the space.
"We can't begin to know it, how much we really care…"
Nancy sang, her voice cutting through the suffocating air, a blade forged of pure audacity.
From the shadows, Ursula's voice rose to meet hers, rich and haunting as it emerged into the tableau. Ursula threw her voice at the wall behind Nancy. Making it sound like it was coming from Nancy. The melody seemed to shimmer with gold, harmonizing with Nancy's defiance.
"I hear your voice inside me, I see your face everywhere."
For the first time, Vecna faltered. His gaze deepened on Nancy, grotesque features twisting with confusion. The two voices filled the space as one, layered and powerful.
"What… are you?" Vecna's voice trembled, his composure cracking under the weight of the song's piercing defiance.
"Still you say.."
Nancy and Ursula pressed on, their voices intertwining, growing stronger. The words seemed to take on new meaning, resonating through the tableau like a tidal wave.
"We belong to the light,"
Nancy sang, her voice raw and defiant.
"We belong to the thunder,"
Ursula's haunting harmony wove effortlessly with Nancy's, the richness of her tone almost otherworldly.
The sound swirled through the air, golden and electric, cutting through the air like a blade of pure defiance. Vecna staggered, his head snapping back as the melody struck him with tangible force. His hollow eyes widened, confusion and terror warring on his grotesque features.
"What is this?" he spat, his voice cracking as he recoiled. He turned his gaze on Nancy, his skeletal frame trembling.
"We belong to the sound of the words we've both fallen under…"
The harmony deepened, cascading over Vecna like a tidal wave. His expression twisted with disbelief as he stumbled forward, his claws twitching violently. "Two voices… from one?" he hissed, his mind unable to reconcile the impossible strength of the song's power.
"Whatever we deny or embrace, For worse or for better. We belong, we belong. We belong together"
The world trembled around them, the vines writhing uncontrollably as the melody grew. The defiance in their voices rippled outward, fracturing the air, breaking apart Vecna's carefully constructed control.
Ursula's voice carried the line, clear and unwavering.
"We can't begin to know it."
Nancy followed, her own voice surging in harmony.
"How much we really care…"
The ground quaked, trembling under the force of their shared strength.
But then, Ursula's tone shifted. Subtle, deliberate. Her gaze locked onto Nancy's, her eyes intense and pointed. She twisted the lyrics ever so slightly, her voice carrying a new message.
"Don't come back to find me. Don't come back for me here."
The change was almost imperceptible, woven so seamlessly into the melody that it could've been missed. But Nancy heard it. She understood.
Ursula wasn't asking for rescue. She didn't need it. She had everything under control. The message was clear: I've done this before. You need to wait.
Nancy's heart pounded as the meaning sank in. Her gaze met Ursula's, and she gave a single, barely perceptible nod. It was enough. Ursula saw it, felt the silent acknowledgment pass between them.
Nancy kept singing, her voice unwavering, even as her mind began to steel itself for what came next.
"Still you say."
Ursula moved, her shadowed form shifting as golden energy began to ripple outward. It started as a faint shimmer, pulsing softly before expanding into a radiant shield. The light surged with power, cutting through the oppressive tableau.
The vines binding Nancy jerked, the psychic tendrils recoiling as the shield severed their hold. The connection between Vecna and Nancy didn't snap cleanly—it frayed, tearing strand by strand.
Nancy's vision blurred, her surroundings flickering. For a fleeting moment, she saw something else—a glimpse of what lay ahead, just beyond the veil.
Ursula stepped forward, her shadowed form solidifying with each measured stride. Her voice rose above the chaos, perfect and unwavering, slicing through the oppressive atmosphere like a blade.
"We belong to the light, we belong to the thunder…"
Ursula sang, her dulcet tones reverberating through the tableau, filling the cracks and fractures with raw defiance.
The golden energy of her shield pulsed outward in steady waves, each one sending ripples of disruption through Vecna's twisted domain. The air quaked, the tableau trembling under the force of her power.
A single rivulet of blood slipped from Ursula's nose, bright against her pale skin. She wiped it away with a swift motion, her focus unbroken as she sang on.
"We belong to the sound of the words we've both fallen under…"
The melody seemed to ignite the air itself, shaking the lair's foundations. The vines writhed and twisted erratically, their grip on the tableau faltering.
Vecna's head snapped toward her, his hollow eyes burning with a mix of fury and terror. Recognition flickered across his grotesque features.
"The traveler…" he hissed, his voice trembling with barely contained rage.
The raw power of Ursula's defiance surged, her presence a battering ram against the fortress of Vecna's control. The lair shuddered around him, the vines shrinking back as though recoiling from her light.
The golden energy of Ursula's shield pulsed outward again, and for the first time, it faltered slightly, revealing her partially to Vecna.
He froze mid-snarl, his hollow eyes narrowing sharply. His head snapped toward her, the realization dawning.
"Whatever we deny or embrace for worse or for better…"
Ursula's voice rose, her shadowy form solidifying just enough for Vecna to register her presence.
Recognition twisted his grotesque features into a mask of fury. His rage erupted into violent action.
Vines exploded from Vecna's body, writhing and lashing out like venomous serpents. The first tendrils wrapped around Ursula's arms with unrelenting force, yanking her upward with terrifying speed.
"We belong, we belong, we belong together…"
Ursula's voice didn't waver, even as her body was wrenched from the ground.
Nancy, still tethered partially to the tableau, cried out in horror as she watched Vecna slam Ursula into the warped walls of the Steve's swimming pool. The cement cracked and groaned, the structure itself seeming to tremble under the impact.
"Maybe it's a sign of weakness when I don't know what to say…"
Nancy sang on, her voice trembling but steady, her defiance unwavering even as fear threatened to consume her.
Vecna sneered and turned back to Nancy, his voice low and venomous, dripping with malice. "You dare to interfere?"
Ursula's voice surged, drowning out his words as it crescendoed, her power growing with each note.
Nancy gasped as the weight pressing on her chest began to lift. The tableau around her wavered, flickering at the edges like a fading nightmare. The oppressive hold of the vines slackened, and Barb's grotesque form dissolved into shadow.
"Maybe I just wouldn't know what to do with my strength anyway…"
Ursula's voice rang out, defiant and unwavering, her song a final beacon cutting through the oppressive darkness.
But Vecna retaliated with savage speed.
More vines erupted from his body, writhing with malicious intent as they lashed out toward her. Thick tendrils coiled around her arms and legs, wrenching her in place with an unrelenting grip. A grotesque vine surged forward, forcing its way into her mouth, silencing her powerful voice.
Nancy's heart clenched, terror surging through her veins as she watched, helpless to intervene. Her voice caught in her throat, her own defiance dissolving into a strangled cry.
Nancy's vision shifted, growing darker and more suffocating. Ursula's muffled screams reverberated faintly through the lair as the thick vine twisted deeper into her throat, choking her.
More tendrils slithered up her body, wrapping around her torso like serpents. The golden glow of her shield dimmed, flickering as Vecna's overwhelming power bore down on her.
Nancy screamed, but the sound came faint and distant. The connection between her and Vecna was fading, the oppressive weight lifting from her chest as the vision of Steve's Pool began to dissolve into shadow.
Just before the vision snapped entirely, Nancy saw it.
The look in Ursula's eyes.
Fear burned there—raw and visceral—but beneath it lay unyielding determination, an unspoken promise that she wouldn't break, no matter how much Vecna tried to crush her. Nancy's gaze remained locked on Ursula's as the vines slithered higher, traveling up her legs and disappearing under the hem of her sleep shorts.
Nancy's consciousness shattered, ripped violently back into the Right Side Up.
She gasped for air, her lungs heaving as though she'd been drowning. Her body trembled violently, her hands clutching at the ground beneath her as the real world slowly reassembled itself around her.
But the memory lingered.
The sensation of the vines. The muffled screams. The look in Ursula's eyes.
It seared itself into her mind, raw and inescapable.
Nancy curled into herself, trembling, as the weight of what she'd just witnessed pressed down on her like a stone. Ursula's fate burned behind her eyes, her fear and determination merging into a single haunting image that she knew would never leave her.
Ursula was still in there.
Alone.
And fighting.