The night air was sharp as they exited Reefer Rick's lake house, the sound of their footsteps muffled by the soft dirt. Ursula led the way to Black Betty, her commanding presence shifting the atmosphere from frazzled to focused.
Eddie still clutched the bundle of gear he had hastily collected, glancing nervously at the others. His fingers tapped out a restless rhythm on the case of his guitar, as if the beat could calm the chaos in his mind.
"Alright, first stop, the Wheeler's," Ursula announced, her tone brooking no argument. She held up a hand before anyone could question the decision.
"We need two cars—backup is non-negotiable. You want to survive? You plan for every eventuality. One car breaks down? Boom. Problem solved. This isn't up for debate. Your older selves were very thorough."
Eddie raised an eyebrow, the corners of his mouth twitching into a faint smirk. "Sounds like you've got this all figured out, Future Girl."
Ursula didn't break stride as she shot back, "Damn right I do. Now, keep up."
The group split into pairs as they approached Black Betty, her dark frame gleaming ominously under the moonlight. Lucas hung back with Max, his arm brushing hers as if he could shield her from the uncertainty surrounding them.
Meanwhile, Ursula sidled up to Max, blocking her path gently with a raised hand. "Max," Ursula began, her voice softer now but no less serious. "You still got your Walkman? Kate Bush?"
Max blinked, caught off guard. "What? How do you know about that, too? Jesus."
Ursula shrugged, her smirk faintly amused. "Because I'm me."
Max narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms. "What else do you know?"
"Enough to keep you safe," Ursula replied, her gaze unwavering. "Now go grab your stuff. And whatever you do, don't lose that Walkman."
Max glanced back at Lucas, who shrugged, equally unsettled. Muttering under her breath, Max followed Nancy and Robin into the house.
"She's starting to freak me out."
"Join the club," Lucas whispered, casting another wary glance at Ursula.
The night air was heavy with the scent of damp earth and pine as Ursula turned to the group, her tone sharp but steady.
"Alright, ladies. You're heading to the Wheelers' house. I need you to grab every pillow, blanket, and anything soft you can find. We're camping out at Pop's cabin for the near future."
"Pop?" Max asked, tilting her head with a skeptical look
"Hopper," Ursula clarified with a faint grin. "When I was little, I couldn't say 'Hopper,' so I called him Pop instead. It stuck. Everyone calls him that now." She paused, a flicker of memory crossing her face as she leaned briefly against the truck. He used to joke that keeping me out of trouble was his full-time job. He didn't really mind, though- always a softie for a messy girls."
A beat of silence followed as the group absorbed the warmth in her tone.
Nancy, her brows knitting together, suddenly broke the quiet. "Wait. Hopper? Hopper's dead. He's been dead for a year."
Ursula froze for half a second, caught off guard. Her eyes darted briefly to Dustin before she quickly shook her head, raising her hands as if to stop the spiral of reactions she could already see brewing.
"Oh yeah…so Pop's not dead. I know you all think he is, but trust me on this. Pop's alive."
Steve blinked at her, his face caught between disbelief and hope.
"Alive? How? Joyce saw—"
"—what Joyce thought she saw," Ursula interjected, her tone sharp enough to cut through the rising tide of confusion. "It looked bad. I know. But Pop's tougher than you think. He made it. He's alive, and he's… well…" She hesitated, her mouth quirking into a faint, sardonic smile.
"He's fighting monsters in a Russian gulag. Because of course, he is."
The silence that followed was deafening.
"A gulag?" Max finally blurted, her voice somewhere between incredulous and horrified.
"Yes, Red," Ursula replied, deadpan. "A gulag. You know, the full-on Soviet prison camp experience. It's a whole thing. But don't worry—Joyce and Murray are on their way to break him out as we speak."
Steve's jaw dropped. "They're what?"
"You heard me," Ursula said, rolling her eyes like this was just another Tuesday."They've got a plan. It's already in motion. It's a good one too, fucking crazy, but good. I'll explain more when we're at the cabin, but for now, just know this: Hopper's alive, and Joyce and Murray are gonna bring him home. So don't waste energy freaking out. We've got bigger fish to fry right now."
Nancy crossed her arms, her expression skeptical.
"Oh, just wait, Nance, I have all KINDS of spoilers, but you'll just have to trust me on this one. Pop's coming back."
The group exchanged uneasy glances, their minds clearly racing.
Dustin, ever the optimist, clung to the good news like a lifeline. "Okay. So Hopper's alive. That's… that's huge, right? That's gotta be good."
"It is," Ursula said firmly. "And when we're safe at the cabin, I'll explain everything I can. But for now? No more questions. We need to move."
Nancy nodded, already in motion."I know the way. We'll meet you there."
"Good," Ursula said. Her tone sharpened as she pointed to Lucas.
"And Sinclair, listen up. You're Max's Accountabilibuddy. You stay with her. Eyes on her at all times. No exceptions."
Lucas straightened, looking like he'd just been knighted. "Got it."
Max rolled her eyes but didn't argue.
"This whole thing feels like overkill, you know."
"Overkill keeps you alive," Ursula shot back, her gaze unwavering.
"Go. We'll meet you at the cabin."
Max hesitated as she climbed into the car, her eyes lingering on Ursula. "You're starting to freak me out a little."
"Join the club," Lucas muttered as he followed her into the car.
Robin, waved casually from the passenger seat "Blankets, pillows, and no stopping. Got it, boss."
Ursula smirked, watching as Nancy started the car.
"Good luck, girls. Grab anything else you think you'll need, Ooh, and coffee! Grab some coffee beans. We may have to hunker down for a few days."
The car pulled away, leaving Ursula alone with the boys.