The Byers' house was a precarious refuge, its walls covered with drawings of vines and telephone wires that seemed to mock the chaos looming ahead. Cassian, still shaky from teleporting in the lab, stood in the backyard with Eleven under a leaden sky threatening rain. His new ability, a flash of power that had saved him from a Demodog, was unstable, and each use left him on the verge of collapse. Eleven, with her intense gaze, guided him through an improvised exercise. "Feel the air," she said, her voice low. "It's like pushing a door, but with your mind."
Cassian closed his eyes, focusing. His lineage, amplified by the proximity to the Upside Down portal, allowed him to draw energy from that dimension, creating temporary rifts that moved him instantly over short distances. In a blink, he disappeared and reappeared two meters to the right, but fell to his knees, gasping for breath. "This is killing me," he growled, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"Don't give up," Eleven said, helping him up. "It's like my powers. It hurts, but it becomes part of you."
Cassian nodded, grateful for her patience. "Thanks, El. If we go to the lab, I'll need this."
Inside, the house vibrated with urgency. Joyce, her face gaunt from the loss of Bob, set up an electric heater in the living room, while Jonathan and Nancy stacked blankets and heat lamps around Will, who lay sedated on the couch, his breathing irregular. Mike, sitting beside him, held his hand, murmuring words of encouragement. Hopper, checking his shotgun, coordinated with Eleven for the assault on the lab, where they would close the Upside Down portal. Helen and Terri, in a corner, analyzed Will's drawings, comparing them with stolen lab reports. "The Mind Flayer manipulated him," Helen said, pointing to a circular pattern. "These tunnels converge at the portal. It's protecting it."
Terri, with a map of Hawkins, frowned. "Will couldn't see one zone, but everything points to the lab. If we attack, the Mind Flayer will know."
Cassian, entering from the yard, heard the conversation. "Then we need to get it out of Will first," he said, his voice firm. "If it's a hive mind, damaging the Mind Flayer will weaken it."
Joyce, plugging in the heater, nodded. "Heat affects it. When they torched the tunnels, Will screamed. We can use that."
Nancy, adjusting a lamp, looked at Cassian. "Are you sure this will work? I don't want to hurt him more."
"No guarantees," Cassian admitted, "but it's our best option."
As the group prepared, a growl echoed from the nearby woods. Cassian, alerted, stepped onto the porch, his golden eyes glowing in the dim light. A lone Demodog emerged from between the trees, its jagged petals snapping. "Stay inside!" he shouted, advancing toward the creature. The Demodog charged, but Cassian, channeling his training, teleported to its left flank, appearing in a flash. He drew a silver-bladed knife, forged with ancient rituals, and plunged it into the creature's back, using its momentum to flip it over. The Demodog screeched, but Cassian, panting from the effort, finished it with a precise cut to the neck. The creature collapsed, and Cassian, dizzy, leaned against a tree, feeling his body protest the teleportation.
Nancy, who had stepped onto the porch, looked at him with admiration. "That was incredible," she said, her voice soft. "You risk everything for us."
Cassian, cleaning the knife, shrugged. "Someone has to do it."
She approached, the November chill contrasting with the flush in her cheeks. "I feel like we don't really know you," she said. "You're always… there, protecting us. But who are you?"
Cassian met her gaze, his golden eyes softening. "Just a guy trying to fix the mess. But you… you carry a lot, don't you?"
Nancy lowered her gaze, her voice trembling. "Barb. This all started because of her. If I hadn't left her alone…"
"It wasn't your fault," Cassian said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You do what you can. That's enough."
The moment grew intimate, the tension between them rising. Nancy, driven by emotion, leaned in, and their lips met in an urgent kiss. Cassian, caught in the moment, gently lifted her, pressing her against a tool rack on the porch. Nancy's hands tugged at his jacket, and he began unbuttoning her blouse, the heat of the moment eclipsing the cold. But the sound of footsteps stopped them: Jonathan, looking for Nancy, approached from the house. They quickly separated, adjusting their clothes, their faces flushed.
"This… shouldn't have happened," Nancy whispered, embarrassed. "I… feel something for Jonathan."
Cassian nodded, his voice low. "I know. It was a mistake. We're fine."
Jonathan appeared, unaware of what had transpired. "Nancy, we need more lamps. Are you coming?"
She nodded, casting one last glance at Cassian before heading inside. Alone, Cassian took a deep breath, cursing his impulsiveness. The weight of the mission brought him back to the present.
Meanwhile, in the tunnels beneath Hawkins, Steve, Dustin, Lucas, and Max, with Jill as backup, advanced toward the core of the vines, a pulsating knot that fed the Mind Flayer. Jill, with a flashlight and rifle, covered the group, her tactical experience keeping them focused. "Stick together," she ordered. "If those things come, aim for the head."
Dustin, holding a can of gasoline, frowned. "I hope Dart isn't here. I don't want to burn him."
Lucas, adjusting his bandana, sighed. "It's a Demodog, Dustin. It's not your pet."
They reached the core, a tangled mass of vines that pulsed like a heart. Steve poured gasoline, and Max lit a match, throwing it. Flames roared, and a shriek echoed through the tunnels. But a Demodog appeared, and Jill fired, taking it down. "Move!" she shouted as the group ran for the exit.
Then Dart emerged, blocking their path. Dustin, trembling, approached. "Hey, buddy," he said. "We don't want to fight." To everyone's surprise, Dart let them pass, its petals closing as if recognizing Dustin. Jill, astonished, kept her rifle raised until they were safe.
At the Byers' house, the plan to save Will was underway. Joyce, Jonathan, and Nancy turned on the heaters and lamps, raising the temperature in the room. Will, tied to the couch for safety, began screaming, his body convulsing as the Mind Flayer fought to keep hold of him. Joyce, tears streaming down her face, whispered, "Hold on, little one. We've got you."
Cassian, guarding the door, felt a chill, his teleportation ready but exhausting. Hopper, beside him, growled, "If this doesn't work, we hit the lab now."
Eleven, preparing for the assault on the portal, nodded. "I can close it. But the Mind Flayer… it's strong."
Helen and Terri, reviewing the drawings, confirmed their suspicions. "The Mind Flayer knows we're going for the portal," Terri said, showing a report. "It used Will to distract us."
Cassian, looking at Will, frowned. "Then we need to be faster than it."
The heat in the room peaked, and Will screamed, a heart-wrenching sound that made Mike cover his ears. Suddenly, his body relaxed, his eyes clearing. "Mom," he whispered. Joyce embraced him, sobbing, as Jonathan cut the ropes.
But the victory was brief. Mike, looking out the window, paled. "They're coming," he said. "The Demodogs. Dozens of them."
Cassian, his golden eyes flashing, grabbed the knife. "Get ready," he said. "The lab is the next target, and the Mind Flayer isn't giving up."
Hopper loaded his shotgun, and Eleven stood beside him, her expression determined. Jill, entering with Steve and the kids, reported, "We burned the core. The Demodogs are furious."
Helen packed the drawings, her voice firm. "Then we head to the lab. Let's finish this."
The group, united by loss and hope, prepared for the final battle, knowing the Demodogs were converging on the heart of the Upside Down.