Steve, Nancy, Jonathan and Dustin stood in front of their car, which was still jammed halfway into the fleshy wall of the Upside Down.
Dustin , said"We need to go to Hawkins Lab. It's the center of all this. We'll get our answers there."
Nancy checked her gun, loading it with a click.
"Yeah. We should move."
Steve shot her and Dustin an incredulous look.
"Are you kidding me? We can't just walk in there. We don't have any backup."
Dustin snapped back, frustration bubbling over.
"So what then? We just wait for Hopper to magically show up with help?"
Steve crossed his arms.
"Yes. That's exactly what we do. We can't enter Hawkins Lab like this. We need a plan. And help."
Before Dustin could argue again, Nancy's expression shifted. She raised a hand.
"Wait… guys. Stop. I hear something."
Everyone fell silent.
A low growl echoed through the crimson fog—followed by the unmistakable, heavy footsteps of a Demogorgon.
Panic surged. They scrambled for anything they could use as a weapon, while Nancy steadied her gun, jaw clenched.
The Demogorgon burst through the vines, screeching as its pale limbs stretched toward them. Nancy fired, bullet after bullet, but the creature barely flinched. It kept charging.
Fear tightened all their throats. They held their makeshift weapons, bracing for impact—
When suddenly, a powerful blast struck the Demogorgon from the side.
All four of them whipped their heads in that direction.
The Demogorgon staggered, wounded, then turned and sprinted toward whoever had fired the shot.
But instead of human screams, more shots thundered through the hollow forest — louder, stronger, unnervingly precise.
The group stood frozen, completely confused.
Then—
Footsteps. Light. Controlled. Approaching.
A shadowed figure appeared from the haze, walking toward them with steady, almost calm steps.
As the fog parted, they saw her clearly.
A girl. Human.
But drenched… soaked… in blood from head to toe.
And judging by her torn clothes and the hollow look in her eyes, it seemed like she had been in the Upside Down for a very long time.
The girl kept walking toward them, her steps slow and eerily calm. As she came closer, they finally saw it—
a mysterious smile tugging at her blood-stained lips.
Within moments, she was standing right in front of them.
All four of them tightened their grips on their weapons, unsure whether they were facing danger… or a victim stolen by Vecna.
The girl tilted her head, her smile widening mischievously.
"My, my… what are you all doing in a place like this? Are you lost?"
Up close, they noticed something else—
her bag was stuffed with weapons.
Guns. Blades. Things none of them recognized.
Steve and Jonathan exchanged a look, then instinctively pulled Nancy and Dustin behind them.
Steve stepped forward.
"Who are you? And what the hell are you doing here?"
She laughed softly.
"Well, well… why don't you tell me what you're doing here first?
I don't like being the one who talks first and gets ditched."
They hesitated, glancing at one another.
Finally, Dustin spoke from behind Steve's shoulder.
"We're looking for our friend. She's here… she was taken by a monster."
The girl raised a brow.
"And how exactly did you get in?"
Dustin swallowed.
"We followed the monster."
Her smile faded into something almost… pitying.
"Ah. So it's a bad day for you, then."
She sighed, dusting off her blood-covered sleeves.
"Fine. A promise is a promise. I'll tell you who I am."
She leaned in slightly.
"You might find this shocking… but I've been familiar with this place for, oh…"
Her eyes flickered with something dark.
"…around four years now."