Unpredictable

HAWKINS INDIANA

Dylan sat in the trailer, hearing the sounds of an owl outside, as the moon shun through the trees. He gripped his axe, feeling his gloves.

"Okay. I wanna run through it one more time." Nancy proclaimed as she turned to face them. Eddie, Robin, Steve, Dylan, and Dustin "Phase one?"

"We meet Erica at the playground." Robin answered "She'll signal Max and Lucas when we're ready." Nancy nodded"Phase two?"

"Max baits Vecna." Answered Steve. "He'll go after her, which'll put him in his trance." Nancy nodded"Phase three?"

"Me and Eddie draw the bats away." Dustin replied as Eddie gave him a playful pat on his head."Four?" Nancy asked

"We head into Vecna's newly bat-free lair, and.." Robin shook the Molotov "flambé"

"And...?" Nancy looked at them sternly, as Dylan finished her speech "No one moves to the next phase until we've all copied. Nobody deviates from the plan, no matter what. Nothing reckless, nothing unpredictable." Dylan repeated what he remembered. Nancy giving him a small a nod and looking around to make sure everyone understood.

"Got it?" She asked, as they all responded "Got it."

They all grabbed their bags and weapons, rushing out of the trailer home and unto the grass, quickly and quietly rushing past the trees and street lamps. They all then swooped past trailers, and people who were asleep, knowing that if any of them woke up they would be screwed.

They found Eddie's trailer, running inside, and quickly closing the door. Seeing the tied bedsheets still floating through the gate.

"Be careful." Dustin advised as Steve was about to climb through the gate. Throwing his bag aside "Thanks Buddy." Steve replied, before climbing up, blood rushing up to his face before he quickly fell on his feet, looking above to see them.

"What does he want us to do? Applaud?" Robin mocked with a wave of her hands, Nancy replied with a small snicker.

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UPSIDE DOWN

Steve caught the bags thrown through by Dylan, setting them aside. Before his brother climbed up as well and fell on the mattress.

Steve extended his hand as Dylan took it, getting back on his feet. Shortly after, Nancy followed, Steve went to help her as well when Dylan beat him to it, lifting Nancy on her feet with ease. The girl patting his shoulder in thanks.

Then Robin fell through, then Eddie, and finally Dustin. All of them getting situated, before leaving the trailer—into the dark and cold air.

As Eddie and Dustin stayed put by Eddie's trailer, Steve turned around. "Hey, guys, listen. If things here start to go south, I mean, at all, you abort. Okay? Draw the attention of the bats. Keep 'em busy for a minute or two. We'll take care of Vecna. Dont try to be cute or be hero's or something. Okay? You guys are just—-" Steve rambled before Dustin cut him off

"Decoys. Dont worry. You can be the hero, Steve." Dustin quipped "Absolutely. I mean, look at us. We are not heroes." Eddie smiled, glancing over at Dustin.

Steve walked away with a nod, as Eddie spoke up "Hey Dylan!" He called out to Dylan as the boy looked at Eddie with a curious expression. "Remember our deal, the campaign? I want you there for it."

Dylan smiled "Don't worry, I'll be there."

"What?!" Dustin laughed "campaign? You joined Hellfire! Gosh, I don't know how long Ive been waiting for this moment!"

"Okay, calm down. Dont wet yourself." Dylan grumbled. "Stay safe. Both of you."

They all agreed, as the groups parted ways. Dylan looked back a few times, he really was looking forward to that campaign.

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As Nancy, Robin, Steve, and Dylan persisted down the woods to the Creels house, all of them were preparing themselves, some different than others. Different like Robin convincing herself of every possible way they walked being the same. "I don't mean to freak anyone out but I swear I've seen this tree before!" She exclaimed, pointing her flashlight at a tree wrapped with vines.

"Thats impossible." Nancy replied

"That would suck, right? Vecna destroys the world because we got lost in the woods." Robin mumbled

"Robin, we're not lost, all these trees look similar, look at the path, the path is different." Dylan tried to comfort her. As she simply chuckled, running away to look ahead and make sure they weren't lost.

"Hey! Watch out for the vines! Robin! It's a hive mind!" Nancy yelled after her, as Robin replied "thank you!" From afar.

Steve chuckled  "uh, don't worry about her." Dylan glanced behind to see the axe on Steve's back "You copied me."

"What?" Steve questioned "I grabbed an axe, and then you grabbed an axe, so you copied me." Dylan expressed

"Well, my axe is better than yours so it doesn't matter." Steve shrugged "My axe has barbed wire!" Dylan argued "Okay, but it's handheld!" Steve argued back "it's small."

Steve could hear Nancy slightly giggling at the banter between the two, as he nudged Dylan, glancing at him, giving Dylan the hint to leave the two alone for a moment. Dylan gave Steve a grossed out look in return before shaking his head, complying as he walked away, trying to find Robin.

"Robin!" Dylan called out "Robin?" Dylan walked further until he saw Robin up ahead as she looked around the trees, examining them. "Robin." Dylan repeated as the girl looked at him

"I think we're lost." Robin sighed

"I think you're stressing yourself out." Dylan smiled "Look, that tree wasn't there before, this path was to the left, and there weren't as much leaves. We're okay." Robin took a deep breath, before holding it and nodding. She then exhaled with a  smile. Dylan watched her run back over to Steve and Nancy.

It wasn't long before he saw the three together, as he waited for them to catch up to him.

As the four walked down the path of the dark woods, thunder rumbling every once in a while, they finally made it the Creel house. It's blue wood—dark, blending in to every crack of the house. Bats flying over it, as it sent a shiver down Dylan's spine.

They glanced over at the playground across from the house, seeing a faint light from inside the rocket ship. "Erica." They all mumbled, as they hurried over.

Dylan reached over sticking his hand through the ship, twirling his hands around Erica's light. [Got it! Initiating Phase one.] Erica's voice echoed around them.

Their eyes stayed on the house, Every time a bat shriek, Dylan felt a sting in his palms, an ache in his neck. It felt like forever waiting for Erica to say something. Dylan's foot anxiously tapped the ground. He fiddled with the handle of his axe.

[okay, the lovebirds have copied!] Erica informed, as they all perked up, hearing her voice. [Max is moving into phase two, distracting Vecna.]

"So far, so smooth." Robin commented

"Yeah, we're not even at the hard part yet." Steve noted, as the two looked towards the house once again. Nancy's and Dylan's eyes already glued on it.

"Take the bait. Come on you sons of bitches. Take it." Nancy mumbled to herself.

Dylan glanced at them, and then back at the bats. That feeling had come again. The feeling of dread. He didn't know what it was, but he felt it. Like his gut was telling him something else was about to happen, and he would have to do something, really, reckless.

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SURFER BOYS PIZZA—CALIFORNIA

Mike's hands slightly shook as he wrapped tape and cardboard cut outs around sunglasses. He sat in a booth—Eleven infront of him. Mumbling to himself, as he built the girl a blindfold, so that she could travel and save their friends in Hawkins.

He thought seeing Eleven again would wash away his worries, but in reality it only added more, his suspicions were correct, something really bad was going on, and the group was his danger, Dylan was in danger.

"Okay..so, hopefully this blocks out any peripheral light, or anything." He noted putting the glasses on, as he saw nothing around him. "And, it's totally dark, which means it works." He smiled "But I just have one more important question...do I look cool?" He jokingly asked, tilting his head.

Eleven giggled, nodding, even though she knew he couldn't see her, she then glanced down at his hands. They were shaking. "Mike..."

Micheal caught the seriousness in her tone as he took the glasses off. "Yeah?" The girl laid her hands out, as he quickly took them. "Did you read my letter?" She asked

Mike then recalled what she had left him.  "Uhh, yeah I did."

"Are you okay with it?" She pondered, her expression soft, and patient.

Mikes brain started working feverishly, was he supposed to be okay with it? Or not? His mouth cracked open and his eyes widened, he didn't know how to respond. As Eleven held unto his shaking hands, she smiled "It's okay, to be okay with it."

She read him like a book, a book that even he couldn't decipher himself. He took a shaking exhale for a breath he didn't even know he was holding in. "Umm—" he started "Im sorry.."

"You do not—." She began, before Mike quickly cut her off "No. I do. Im sorry. I hurt you, and I realize that now, I was a really immature asshole, and I've been holding you back." He paused "And I've also been holding myself back from something that i can't seem to figure out." He scoffed.

Eleven tilted her gaze down, processing his words, appreciating them. "I forgive you. I think you should forgive, you too."

Mikes eyes furrowed, wanting to protest, though Eleven seemed serious. "Alright." Mike smiled, lifting one of his hands up, his eyes locked on his own fingers "I forgive you."

Eleven giggled at him once again "Friends?"

Mike nodded "Friends."

The pair smiled together, recalling the last time they sat in-front of one another—awaiting food. In the Hawkins cafeteria. But instead of pizza it was chocolate pudding. And instead of being friends they pushed something that wasn't true. Now they were fixing it. Together.

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HAWKINS INDIANA

As Lucas anxiously shined his flashlight through the broken boards. The girl behind him in a trance. Erica took the signal, shining her own light before speaking.

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UPSIDE DOWN

[Okay, she's in. Initiate phase three.]Dylan heard the young girls voice, as he looked at Steve and Robin. Robin grabbed the walkie talkie "Shes in. Move on to phase three." She spoke.

*Copy that! Initiating phase three.* Dustin quickly replied. A moment passed before Dylan heard the faint sounds of heavy metal cords. It was Master of Puppets by Metallica. Dylan's lips perked into a smile "Awesome." He huffed.

The bats around the Creel house began shrieking loudly as they all flew towards the noise and away from the house. "Okay it's working." Nancy stated "let's go."

They all started walking over to the house, avoiding the vines that lay across the grass. As they passed the small foggy road—a bridge between the steps of the house and the playground—Dylan stopped in the middle. *SCCRAPP* He heard...his gaze moved to his right as he saw in the distance a monster he hadn't seen in a long time. A large creature. It looked to be around 20 feet in height and 10 feet in width. Something he would have in a nightmare of his.A bat. A huge bat. Its arms skinny and sharp, its wings harsh and thick, its claws scraping against the road.

Steve had opened the door, seeing the floors covered in vines, along with Nancy and Robin behind him. He turned around to make sure everyone got in when he saw his brother. Fear laced across the boys face. "Dylan?" He quickly walked back to the porch "Dylan! What are you doing?"

Dylan's eyes stayed on the creature. "Steve, I can't go with you." He knew Vecna had sent this thing specifically for him, and if he followed his friends they were going to die. "You're just going to have to trust me!"

"What?!" Steve yelled, as he looked over, seeing the creature himself "Dylan, what is that thing?" His voice shook.

"Steve. Get in the house. Find Vecna. Kill him." Dylan demanded.

"No! Dylan that thing will kill you!" Steve yelled.

Dylan looked over at Nancy and Robin, who understood what the boy had to do. "We need to go Steve!" Nancy hissed, pulling him back. Robin assisting her.

"No! Dylan!" Steve tried running to him before the air around him grew hot, the man quickly backing up. Dylan's nose bled, as he gave Steve his best reassuring smile. "Go."

Steve's voice was cut off by the door closing. Something had locked them in. The vines covering the entrance. Not allowing Steve to even try and get to his brother.  Steve cried, as Nancy and Robin held back their tears, dragging him away.

As Dylan took a breath. He faced the creature. Looking behind him before shaking his nerves away. "Okay. Let's go." He muttered. Gripping the handle of his axe.

He began running away, as fast as he could. Hearing the bellowing screams of the creature as it ran after him. It's claws scrapping the ground.Dylan screamed to grab its attention and anymore creatures that were around. Making sure nothing was near the house. "COME ON!" He yelled as he continued running away.

This was the time Dylan was glad he was a fast runner. His adrenaline keeping him from being tired. Running past the trees, not caring if he touched a vine. It just led more in his direction. His jacket rubbed against his pants, as his converse once again never fail him.

Once the trees ended, he was left with a giant field. Its grass was gray and there were no vines in sight. He then realized he could no longer hear the sounds of the monster.

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UPSIDE DOWN

Steve yelled as he swung his axe at the vines that held Robin against the house, it slowly wrapped around her arms and legs, getting tighter—it reached her neck and she panicked. Both Nancy and Steve hit the vines, getting some off them before Steve was grabbed by his leg, causing him to drop his axe and slam into the floor, his nose bleeding profusely, and his back harsh against the wall.

"Steve!" Nancy gasped before she was then also pulled back by vines wrapping around her stomach. Yelping as she hit the back of her head.

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DUSTIN POV

Eddie lifted the mattress off the floor, Dustin looking at him through the gate with glistening eyes "Eddie no!" Dustin screamed "Stop! Eddie! Stop!"

Dustin's hands flew to his head in a panic "EDDIE WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"

Eddie looked back up at his most loyal sheep, his best friend "Im buying more time." He replied. Before quickly leaving the safety of his trailer and outside to where the bats were

"NO! EDDIE PLEASE!" Dustin pleaded

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DYLAN POV The field was quiet. Too quiet. Only the sound of thunder brought Dylan back to this moment, where he didn't know what to expect. He then looked to see what was coming out of the forest. Demodogs. And a lot of them. They surrounded Dylan like sharks in the water. There were at least 30.

Dylan used his powers towards the copper and steel of his axe, the metals taking the heat he was giving to it, as the demodogs rushed to him. A demodog jumped at Dylan when he extended his hand, the demo screeching in pain as its skin boiled. Dylan then slashed his axe through the Demos head, slicing it clean off. It's blood splashing unto the ground and covering the axe.

One by one they tried to kill him, and one by one Dylan sliced them, burned them, tore them apart. His adrenaline faltered as some hits caught him. His arm bled as claws scratched him, opening his skin and exposing his flesh. Dylan yelled in pain.

The blood from his nose ran down into the cloth around his neck, his hands ached and burned, and his head pounded. With still over 20 left he dropped his axe, lifted both his hands up, feeling the tips of his fingers surrounded in heat, as the demos curled into their own flesh. In pain. In agony. Before Dylan closed his fist, all them simultaneously exploding like a science experiment gone wrong.

Dylan fell to his knees, his heart pounded out of his chest, as his vision grew blurry. He looked up, hot liquid pouring out of his ears and nose. He saw the trees up ahead begin to snap and bend. Before seeing the Bat he thought he escaped.

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ELEVEN POV

The red sky that illuminated over the fragments floating in the air, and Maxine's skin that stuck to one of the grounded fragments, vines over her arms and legs, as Eleven could barely look at her.

Tears ran down from Elevens eyes in fear, as Henry spoke to her. His squelching red flesh moving around his body as the sound made Eleven sick. "It is over, Eleven." Henry stated as his claw caught the tear that slipped down Elevens jaw.

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DYLAN POV

As Dylan grew so weak he could barely stand, the bat rushed over to him. Dylan couldn't run, he could only watch as it grew closer and closer to him. Its features more visible, it's eyes white, teeth sharp, ears large. Dylan could see its bones that pushed against its grey skin, veins pulsing up and down its back. Dylan couldn't give up, with a bit of strength he had left he tried to hurt the creature, before it lunged at him. Grabbing the boy and slamming him unto the ground, knocking the little breath he had left. With the impact, Dylan's right foot was caught on the ground and he felt his ankle snap. His bone completely exposed.

Dylan screamed in pain, as the creature hovered over him, its hand grabbing Dylan's neck, keeping him in place. It roared in Dylan's face, the loud sound mixing with the red thunder in the sky. It caused Dylan's ears to ring.

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VECNA POV

"Your friends...have lost." Vecna spoke. Seeing the destruction he was causing.

The bats that flew around Eddie, gripping his neck and clawing at him

The vines that wrapped tightly around Steve, Nancy, and Robin. All gasping for air in a panic.

And......

"Dylan will save them." Eleven spoke "You are afraid of him, because he can defeat you." Her eyes full of tears, but her voice steady.

"Can he?" Vecna replied as he placed his hand over Eleven, letting her see what he was aware of.

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ELEVENS POV

Elevens eyes widened as she saw the creature over her brother, Dylan looking pale and defenseless. She gasped, seeing the creature grip at Dylan's neck, before reaching its other claw above the boys chest. "NO!" She cried

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DYLAN POV

Dylan had seen death all around him. Through monsters and people that tragically died due to them. It wasn't like the movies. There wasn't this long waiting pause of dramatic, or music that played. It was quick. And unpredictable.

The long sharp claw came down at him, not giving Dylan time to brace for impact when it pierced right through his fast-paced heart. The sound of his bones cracking and his flesh tearing was all Dylan could hear, as blood filled in his mouth, his body jerked, he choked on blood.

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SURFER BOYS PIZZA—CALIFORNIA

The lights flickered on and off, Elevens body shook in the water, as she cried.

"El? Whats going on? Eleven?!" Mike yelled desperately gripping tightly to the girls cold hand

"DYLAN! NO! NO! No! No....." the girl repeated as she cried, Mikes body tensed up hearing the boys name. His hands shook, as his expression grew mortified. Will cried beside him, the boy hearing his friend's name. Not to Micheal. This was a different feeling. He felt a hole through his heart. He could hear Dylan's voice in his head. His laughter. He could see Dylan's smile. Feel the warmth of his hands.He loves him. loved

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DYLAN POV

As Dylan's eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he took his last breath. It was dark. And cold. He could feel nothing. he could see nothing....

Then...light.

He opened his eyes, he was in..a house? The house that he was in with Vecna's offer.There was an old comforting smell that danced around him, instead of the blood he once smelled before. And the lights were warm, he was warm. His hands quickly went to his heart as he had no injury. He knew that wasn't just a dream so where was he?

"Dylan?" A soft voice called out.

He quickly turned around to see His mom.

They shared the same color of hair, though hers had some grey. And her eyes were a slender green. She looked like how a mother was meant to look. Gentle, kind. Not like the mother he had been seeing his whole life, not the mother Vecna used against him. "W-what?" Dylan muttered "M-mom?"

The woman nervously nodded with a smile, tears in her eyes. She walked over to Dylan, as the boy stepped back. "I know it's a lot to take in. Im not going to hurt you." She put her hands up, slowly walking towards him, before placing a hand on his shoulder.

Her touch was warm, it was real"I-Is it really you?" He stuttered as the women laughed into her words"Yes! It's me! You've really grown." She gasped, before quickly hugging her son.

Dylan placed his hand on her timidly, she then looked at him again. "Welcome, my love." She smiled.

Dylan paused looking around, before looking back at her. She looked, nothing like Cindy. She looked nothing like what he had been seeing for years. But she did look like Dylan. And he looked like his mother. As he smiled himself, he was quickly reminded of what was at stake. "Am I...... dead?" Dylan asked "Well I mean, I would assume that I am."

Dylan staggered back into a chair with panic "Im dead....im really dead. Is Steve dead? Is Max dead?" He rambled before he mother quickly came to his side "Hey. Things happen. We don't decide who lives and who dies. It's just fate."

Dylan looked at the women, before tears fell down his face. "But..you, didn't die with fate. I—I hurt you. I took your life away from you." He choked before his mother quickly stopped him. "What are you talking about? You've didn't hurt me? You tried to save me, you could barely talk and you still tried to help me."

"What?" Dylan muttered "what do you mean? I hurt you. Your neck...I hurt you."

"Your father hurt me." Linda reassured Dylan. She took a moment to reflect before looking at her son again.

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HAWKINS INDIANA— May /16/1971

Linda held her son in her arms, his head resting on her shoulder as she stared behind the glass of a white room. Seeing her husband, Martin, bring in a child. They're head shaven, wearing a hospital gown, a tattoo number on their wrist. Her breath quickened, this was what Martin was doing. The whole time she didn't even once bat an eye at the truth. The child's nose began to bleed as they seemed to be using psychic powers.

Everything made Linda's head pound, and her heart quickened. She needed to get Dylan out of here, and she needed to leave. From across the glass Martin sent the child back through the door before smiling at the one way mirror, his eyes landing directly unto Linda.

As she saw Martin walk out of the room, she could only assume he was going to her. She nervously picked at her thumb. Trying to comfort Dylan in her arms as he grew fussy, almost as if he felt his mother's discomfort.

Martin opened the door, with a smile "What do you think?" He asked

"What do I think?" She replied "What are you doing Martin?" She tone was sharp. Martins smiled faltered as his gaze grew stern

"These children are extraordinary, Linda." Martin spat

"Children?" She asked "theres more?!" "Why do you have multiple children confined in this place, tossed around like science experiments?!"

"Linda." Dr. Brenner spoke. His tone cold and impatient. "Try to understand what this is for—"

"No! Martin! This ends now! I wont let you keep these kids from God knows where,  in this..this Prison!" Linda yelled "Im taking Dylan. And we're leaving." She tried to slip past her husband when he moved in her way. Not letting the women leave. Martin was always a gentle man, he never hurt her. But something about seeing him now made her skin crawl. She quickly backed away, and set her son down in the corner before moving to the other side. He could hurt her but he wasn't going to hurt her son.

"I am doing this for us. Linda. For us!" Martin yelled. She backed away, until she was trapped between a wall and him. Before he got too close she gripped her fist and punched him. In the process, she felt a crunch from Martins nose and in her own knuckle.

Martin clutched his face, blood running down, when he pushed her back and grabbed her neck. In anger he choked her. "Why can't you just understand?" There was no guilt behind his eyes, Linda lost control of her hands that were trying to pry him off. She could see the lights begin to flicker and the sound of her sons crying when, her world faded to black.

As Linda went limp in his hands, his son screamed. He felt a burning sensation throughout his arms before he was pushed back by an indescribable force. His head banged against the wall and he passed out.

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Martin then woke up, with no memory of what he had just done. Only seeing the blood from his nose and head, and the burn marks on his skin. He looked foward to see his wife dead. His son beside her, blood down Dylan's nose.

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DYLANS POV

"See.." Linda said "you didn't hurt me." She rested her hand on his arm. Dylan couldn't believe what he was hearing, he carried his own father's guilt. He didn't kill his mother. And through that, he didn't kill Cindy. Vecna did.

Dylan nodded, placing a hand on his mother's "I need to go back." He said "my friends..need me."

Dylan's mother looked at him—her eyes proud—"I can't send you back. But that day you unlocked your true potential. it was through your heart. You are strong. My son. And I am proud of you." Dylan cried, as he planned to remember what his mother looked like.  because he wasn't going to see her for a while after he left. He was going to live.

He gave her one last hug. As she placed her hand on his heart. She felt it beating through his chest, he kept her hand there. A flam engulfed the two hands. A blue flame. It spread across them until Dylan could see nothing but the blue light.

And then...life.

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ELEVENS POV

The vine around her neck began choking her, as she watched Max across from her be taken and held by Vecna. She cried, the image of Dylan flashing through her mind. His still—lifeless—face. The sound of his heart stopping. She gave up..her brother was gone.

Then a blue flame rushed around her. Though it didn't hurt her at all, only burning the vines around her limbs and neck, letting her go as she took a gasp of air.

She looked to see Vecna, who was screaming, being thrown back against his own pillars of death, as that same blue flame danced around him.

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RUSSIA

Hopper and Joyce hid in a Russian prison cell, turning their backs away from the demodogs and demogorgen that was chasing them. In the paralyzation of thinking they were going to die, they held on to one another.

But they felt only heat behind them. No claws. Turning around, all the monsters were roaring as their limbs were coated in a blue flame.

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UPSIDE DOWNEDDIE POV

The bats that rushed around him, clawing at his chest, trying to take him down, limb by limb. The bats had all burst into a tornado of blue fire. Swirling around Eddie, before ash fell back down on him.

UPSIDE DOWNROBIN POV

Steve, Nancy, and Robin were let go, as they crashed to the floor. The vines that were once aggressively holding them were now ash, as a blue flame rushed before them. Surrounding the three in a protective circle.

"I don't believe in a higher power, or divine intervention. But that was a miracle." Robin spoke. As the flame died down.

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UPSIDE DOWN DYLAN POV

Dylan's eyes fluttered open, as the claw that was stuck in his heart was taken by his own hand. Dylan held unto the creatures claw as it shrieked, not being able to move from the boys grasp. it's wings spreading, attempting to fly away.

Before that blue fire spread from Dylan's hands, burning his gloves off, and like a spark to a firework, it caught on to the monsters arms, and then its body, and then its wings. Its screams echoed throughout the upside down as it burned until it was nothing but ash that floated down like the particles around Dylan.

Dylan was alone in the field. As he heard the sound of his own flesh's regeneration, he felt his bones snap back, his ribs clicking into place, and his ankle reconnecting. Then a scar that begun at his heart traced his skin like the sun. Dylan sat up, inhaling the air around him, and feeling his heart beat again. And again And again.

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UPSIDE DOWN

Steve lit the Molotov, facing Vecna in the attic of the house. Vines connected throughout the monsters back.

With a grunt Steve threw the liquid. It landed on Vecna's chest as he yelled, the flame spreading through his body. He fell to the wood floor. The once dark and cold attic now filled with spits of fire.

He looked up, seeing the three. Steve, Nancy, and Robin. Anger coursed through Henry as he stood up tall, Robin lit another Molotov, throwing it at Henry who started to walk towards them.

He staggered back at the impact of the flames, it only made him more upset. Then Nancy, walked forward,  her eyes set on him as she pulled the trigger of her shotgun She could see the flesh fall off of him. And then she shot again. But he still stayed standing. His white eyes laid on them.

As he walked forward. They had no more Molotovs. They panicked for a moment, Nancy trying to put more ammo in her gun. When Henry stopped. One stopped. Vecna stopped. The three could see the fear in his eyes and expression, despite not having many features to read off of. Vecna staggered back as he looked past them. Behind them.

Steve looked behind him to see his brother Dylan. His hands covered in the blue flames that saved them a moment ago. The relief Steve had seeing his brother, Robin and Nancy also shared the emotion, seeing the younger boy. Dylan's eyes stayed glued to Vecna's and he slipped between Nancy and Steve, walking foward. Fire in his hands. And his axe, which the metal was now laced in the blue flames.

Vecna who felt no emotion in a very long time, felt the sudden urge of fear. Dylan had unlocked the powers he had in him. He had tried killing him years ago and now he succeeded but, Dylan had come back to haunt him.

With precise aim, Dylan threw the axe dead center into Vecna's heart, the blue flame-engulfing- Henry. Dylan could see Vecna's arm being burnt off and his eye, before he fell out of the window of the attic. The glass and wood shattering at the impact, leaving a hole for Dylan to see the dark sky.

The flames were gone from his hands, as Dylan was breathing heavily from it all. Steve grabbed his shoulders and turned him around, hugging his brother tightly. "You're alive!" Steve exclaimed Dylan hugged him back. Letting himself have a moment before quickly running down the stairs, the three following after him.

He opened the door of the house as his eyes landed on the spot Vecna had fallen to. It was empty. Vecna was no where to be seen. And there was no ash signifying he was gone. Like Dylan, Vecna was alive.

Then Dylan heard the sound of a clock. "No!" He shouted, running back inside to see the grandfather clock chime. It's chime loud, filling Dylan's ears

"Four chimes." Robin commented

"Max." Nancy quavered.

"I was too late." Dylan cried. Then the ground shook. Dylan was quickly knocked into Steve, who held unto the wall. They shook violently.

Then Dylan's head jerked up. He was shown how Max's limbs were now cracked, her eyes white and bleeding. Eddie being held by Dustin as the man bled out. He was being shown what was happening to Hawkins. From the four gates of Chrissy, Fred, Patrick, and now Max, the ground split open. Cutting through cars, roads, water, and people. "NO!" Dylan screamed, seeing it all come to the center of Hawkins. The red gates filled with smoke and the screams of innocent people. They had lost.

As the rumbling stopped, Dylan was brought back. Steve holding him. "Dylan! What? What did you see?" He asked holding his brother as the boy cried

"He did it......we lost." Dylan whimpered, Steve hugged him tightly, looking at Nancy and Robin who also stood bewildered, tears falling from their faces. "Dylan you saved us...." Steve muttered, thats all he could say to his brother.

As he held Steve, he knew is brother was alive, and most of his friends...but Eddie had died. Max had died. and like Dylan had said before. No one wins when death is involved.