Staring in the mirror in nothing but her underwear and one of Eddie’s old tee shirts, the blonde took a deep breath. It had been building for days now, but it had all come to this. The Upside Down. Kas. Vecna. Meeting Eleven hadn’t gone the smoothest, but the two girls didn’t really need to know each other for anything more than trusting that they could get the job done. The plan was simple, anyways.

 

Get to The Upside Down, and then split up into two groups. Group A consisted of Eleven, Mike, Jonathon, Robin, and Will. Group B consisted of Demona, Steve, Nancy, and Dustin (despite Demona’s requests for the boy to stay behind due to his injury). While Group A were to destroy Vecna and end his reign before it began, Group B had another goal – save Eddie from the prison Kas currently held him in and bring him home. It was, in theory, the easier of the goals, but while defeating Vecna was up to Eleven, saving Eddie would require all of them. Kas was angry, and after messing with the horns, the devil was ready to come out.

 

It was going to be a fight of a lifetime.

 

Moving to get dressed, Demona chose the black leggings she had brought with her due to their ease to move in. After changing into a clean Metallica shirt (one of the few she had left before she needed to wash all of her clothes), she slipped the chain with Eddie’s ring over her neck before pulling on her combat boots. A black bandana was pulled over the lower half of her face once her makeup was complete, and grabbing the stake she had made, she took one last look in the mirror. It was a look she had worn many times before at protests and rallies back in California, but after today, it wasn’t going to be a look of rebellion – it was going to be a look of battle.

 

The drive over to Eddie’s trailer was quiet, too. Not even her music was played through the radio as the four sat there, preparing for what had to be done. It wasn’t going to be easy, and as they exited her van, the blonde moved back for the back of the van.

 

“Demona, what are you–” Nancy was cut off as she pulled the rug on the ground back, revealing a small, hidden hatch that she quickly pulled up. It was a shallow addition, but laying in it was a handgun, some ammo for it, and a machete. Demona had hoped to never use them, no, but times were desperate. She quietly began to load the gun as Steve and Dustin went to prepare the gate, but Nancy stayed back with her, arms crossed.

 

“Demona . . . you don’t have to do this, you know.” The brunette’s words were filled with concern, and as the blonde looked up at her in silence for a moment, she flickered her gaze back to the weapon in her hands as Nancy continued to talk. “This isn’t your fight. I know Eddie meant a lot to you, and–”

 

“Eddie is everything to me, Nancy.” Shoving the loaded weapon in her waistband (her cassette player with Eddie’s tape was in the inside jacket pocket), Demona grabbed the belt with extra rounds before slinging it across her chest, fastening it as she spoke. “Without Eddie, I wouldn’t even be here. I came back for him, and I’m not leaving without him.”

 

“Right.” Nancy shifted her weight, a sense of unease settling over her. “I didn’t mean–” Once again, Demona cut her off, grabbing the machete out of the back as she slammed the hatch shut, pulling the rug back in place as she spoke.

 

“I appreciate what you’re trying to do, I really do. But the second Kas tried to change me, this became my fight, too. That sonovabitch took the one person who I would die for, and I’m not about to sit back and let him get away with it.” She paused, glancing over at Steve before turning back to Nancy. “I don’t know what happened between you and Harrington, and frankly, I couldn’t care less. But from what I could tell, there was a time when you would’ve jumped in front of a car to push him out of the way. I didn’t get to do that for Eddie because I let other people tell me how to live my life. I’m done letting people tell me what to do and when to fight. Maybe you should take a second and figure out if you’re done, too.”

 

The back of the van doors slammed shut, and Demona walked around towards the front door of Eddie’s trailer, leaving Nancy stunned for a moment. The setting sun shone off the machete, too, and the second Steve and Dustin saw the weapon, they backed up a few steps. It wasn’t for them, though, and without waiting for the others, she opened the door to the familiar trailer.

 

It was dead silent, light barely able to penetrate through the windows as she stepped inside. She could still hear Kas’ laugh from the last time she was there, but she knew it was only in her head. Slowly, she looked up to see the gate. It was . . . disgusting, if she was honest, and her stomach twisted just from the sight of it. From what she understood, they would have to climb up into it since it was on the ceiling, and gripping the machete tighter, she glanced over her shoulder to make sure everyone was close behind her.

 

There was no turning back now, and no time for hesitation.