The Hawkins lab was in ruins, its hallways illuminated by flickering lights and the distant echo of growls. Hopper, Eleven, and Cassian advanced toward the basement, where the portal to the Upside Down pulsed like an open wound. The atmosphere was thick, the air humming with a vibration that rattled their bones. Cassian, his golden eyes glowing in the dim light, checked his silver knife, while Hopper loaded a shotgun and Eleven walked with clenched fists, her face tense with determination. Behind them, at the Byers' cabin, Joyce, Jonathan, Nancy, Mike, Dustin, Lucas, Max, and Steve protected Will, while Jill led the defense against the Demodogs lurking outside. In a nearby hideout, Helen and Terri coordinated with Murray to send Owens' tape to newspapers, a final blow against the lab.
"This ends today," Hopper said, his voice hoarse as they descended a metal staircase. "The portal closes, no matter the cost."
Eleven nodded, her eyes fixed on the floor. "I'll do it. For everyone."
Cassian, adjusting his stance, spoke calmly. "The Demodogs will come for us. Stay sharp."
At the cabin, Jill directed Steve and the kids, stacking furniture against the windows. "Reinforce the door," she ordered, checking her rifle. "If those things get in, aim for the center and don't hesitate."
Dustin, holding a bat, frowned. "What if there are too many? We don't have enough gasoline."
"Then we improvise," Jill said, pointing to a can of aerosol and a lighter. "This can fry them if they get close."
Max, tying a rope to an improvised trap, looked at Lucas. "I never thought I'd be fighting monsters with you guys."
Lucas smiled, nervous. "Welcome to the club."
Steve, watching a window, growled. "Hey, less talk, more work. Those things don't wait."
In the lab, the trio reached the basement, where the portal was a glowing crack surrounded by pulsating vines. The hum was deafening, and Cassian noticed the sweat on Eleven's forehead. "Are you ready?" he asked, keeping his voice steady.
She nodded, but before she could move, a roar shook the hallway. A wave of Demodogs burst in, their jagged petals open. Cassian moved first, his golden eyes flashing. "Cover El!" he shouted, teleporting to the right of a Demodog in a flash. His ability, now more controlled after training with Eleven, allowed him to flank the creature, stunning it with the butt of his pistol before slashing its neck with the knife. The effort left him dizzy, but he teleported again, appearing behind another Demodog to take it down with a precise shot. Hopper fired his shotgun, clearing a path for Eleven, who raised her hands, throwing two creatures against the wall with a gesture.
"Keep moving!" Hopper shouted, reloading as he ran toward the portal.
In the hideout, Helen and Terri worked on a secure phone, contacting Murray. "The tapes are sent," Murray said, his voice filled with excitement. "Chicago Tribune, New York Times, they all have it. The lab is finished."
Helen, reviewing a stolen map, responded: "Good work, but we need you to keep pushing. If the portal doesn't close, this will spread beyond Hawkins."
Terri, scanning a report, added: "The data confirms the portal is the core. If Eleven fails, the Demodogs won't stop."
"She won't fail," Helen said, hanging up the phone. "Come on, Terri. We need to be ready to evacuate."
At the cabin, the Demodogs pounded on the windows, their claws breaking the glass. Jill fired, taking one down, while Steve threw a chair at another. "Hold the line!" Jill shouted, igniting the aerosol to create a burst of fire that repelled a Demodog. Nancy, from the living room, helped Joyce watch over Will, who trembled but was free of the Mind Flayer. "He's safe," Joyce said, her voice breaking. "But if they don't close that portal…"
"Don't think about it," Nancy said, loading a revolver. "Trust them."
In the basement, Eleven stood before the portal, her hands trembling as she channeled her powers. The vines writhed, as if the Mind Flayer knew her intention. Cassian, panting after taking down another Demodog, approached her. "We need more strength," he said, drawing his knife. He had trained for months to use his blood as a conduit, cutting his palm to open or close dimensional rifts. Now, with the portal before him, he sliced his hand, letting the blood drip onto the floor. The liquid glowed, resonating with the energy of the Upside Down, and a wave of power joined Eleven's effort, stabilizing the rift.
"Together," Eleven said, her voice strained as she pushed with her mind.
The portal began to shrink, but a mental roar hit them. The Mind Flayer counterattacked, sending images of darkness and pain that made Eleven and Cassian scream, falling to their knees. "Don't let it in!" Cassian shouted, gripping his bleeding hand to maintain the flow of energy. Hopper, firing at an approaching Demodog, covered them, his face drenched in sweat.
"Hold on!" Hopper growled, taking down another creature.
Eleven, trembling, closed her eyes, and a memory of her mother, Terry Ives, flashed in her mind: a promise of strength, of love. With a cry, she pushed with all her power, and Cassian's blood amplified the closure, sealing the portal in a blinding flash. Eleven collapsed, unconscious, and Cassian, dizzy from teleportation and blood loss, saw a Demodog leap toward them. With a final effort, he teleported, bringing Hopper and Eleven out of the creature's reach, landing in a nearby hallway. Hopper fired, finishing off the Demodog, and carried Eleven, her face pale.
"We did it," Cassian murmured, leaning against the wall, his bleeding hand wrapped in a cloth.
Hopper, panting, nodded. "Let's get out of here."
At the cabin, the Demodogs suddenly retreated, as if closing the portal had disoriented them. Jill, wiping sweat from her brow, looked at Steve. "Is it over?" she asked.
Steve, with a bloodied bat, shook his head. "For now. But I don't like how that sounds."
Mike, hugging Will, smiled weakly. "The portal is closed. I know it."
Joyce, holding her son, cried with relief. "Thank you all."
Nancy and Jonathan, in the living room, exchanged a glance, their connection stronger after the night at Murray's. Dustin, Lucas, and Max, exhausted, collapsed onto the couch, nervously laughing about surviving.
In the hideout, Helen and Terri received news from Murray: the newspapers would publish the tape, exposing the lab's experiments. "This changes everything," Terri said, storing the stolen reports.
Helen nodded, looking at the horizon. "But the Upside Down doesn't disappear that easily. We need to be ready."
At the lab, Cassian, Hopper, and Eleven, now weakly waking up, exited to the outside, where the silence was unsettling. The portal was closed, but Cassian, his hand still bleeding, looked at the sky. "That was just one portal," he said, his voice low. "If they opened one, they could open more."
Hopper, supporting Eleven, grunted. "Then we'll close those too."
Eleven, her voice weak, added: "Together."
Cassian, exhausted but resolute, nodded. The battle was over, but the Upside Down still loomed, a reminder that Hawkins would never be completely safe.