Steve Harrington steps directly into Jason Carver's path.
Jason stops short, chest heaving, eyes wild. "Move."
Steve doesn't.
"You don't get to do this," Steve says, voice low but firm. "You don't get to turn a town into a mob because you're scared."
Jason laughs — sharp, ugly. "You defending him now? Figures. Freaks protect freaks."
Steve's jaw tightens. "You don't know Eddie. And you sure as hell don't know what happened."
Jason shoves him.
Hard.
Steve stumbles back a step, then straightens. "You want someone to hit?" he says quietly. "Hit me."
The jocks murmur. Someone says Steve's name like a warning.
Jason swings.
Steve ducks, comes back fast, fist connecting with Jason's jaw. The crack echoes through the trees. Jason staggers, furious now, unhinged.
They collide — fists, shoves, dirt and sweat and rage.
Behind them, Eddie freezes.
"EDDIE!" Steve yells over his shoulder. "DUSTIN — RUN!"
Dustin doesn't think. He grabs Eddie's hand and pulls.
Jason wipes blood from his mouth and screams, "AFTER THEM!"
The jocks split, chasing.
Steve turns back just in time to take another punch. Pain flashes white behind his eyes, but he swings back harder.
Jason stumbles.
Steve hits him again.
Jason goes down.
Still.
Steve stands there panting, blood at the corner of his mouth, knuckles throbbing.
Then — movement.
A girl on a bike skids to a stop at the edge of the clearing.
Max Mayfield.
She stares at Jason on the ground, then at Steve. "What the hell is going on?"
Steve blinks. "You shouldn't be here."
Max scoffs. "Yeah? Neither should you."
Sirens wail closer now.
Steve makes a decision in half a second. "Come on."
"What?"
"Unless you want to explain this to the cops, you're coming with me."
Max hesitates — then follows.
Eddie and Dustin crash through the woods, lungs burning.
"I can't—" Dustin gasps.
Eddie grabs his arm. "Don't stop."
They break into a clearing — and freeze.
Four jocks step out from behind the trees.
Cornered.
One of them smirks. "End of the road."
Dustin backs up into Eddie, heart pounding. "Eddie…"
Eddie steps in front of him without thinking. "You wanna do something, do it to me."
The tunnel is cold and quiet again.
Will and Mike sit shoulder to shoulder, knees pulled in. The world above them feels impossibly far away.
Mike exhales shakily. "I thought… when they were looking for us… I thought that was it."
Will nods. "Me too."
Silence stretches — heavy, intimate.
Then Will speaks, voice barely above a whisper. "I don't feel like this with anyone else."
Mike turns slowly. "Like what?"
"Like I'm… seen," Will says. "Like I don't have to pretend."
Mike swallows. His hands tremble in his lap. "I don't understand myself," he admits. "But when I thought something might happen to you—"
His voice breaks.
"I panicked."
Will's breath catches. "Mike…"
Their eyes lock. The space between them feels electric, fragile.
"I think," Mike says softly, "that maybe I'm scared because it matters."
Will nods, tears threatening. "Yeah."
They lean closer — not touching, but close enough to feel each other's breath.
Footsteps crunch above them.
A flashlight beam cuts into the tunnel.
"Well," Hopper's voice echoes, "this explains a lot."
Mike flinches. Will freezes.
Hopper crouches at the entrance, eyes narrowing. "What the hell are you two doing hiding in a drainage tunnel?"
Mike opens his mouth. Closes it.
Hopper sighs. "Never mind. We don't have time."
He gestures. "Come on. With me. Now."
Lucas stumbles through the woods alone.
"Dustin!" he calls. "Eddie!"
No answer.
His phone buzzes — Max.
He doesn't see it.
He keeps moving, guilt heavy in his chest.
Steve and Max move fast through the trees.
"Who are you?" Max asks.
"Steve."
"That's it?"
"That's all you need."
They hear voices ahead.
Steve slows, hand out, stopping her. "Stay behind me."
They step into the clearing.
Dustin.
Cornered.
Eddie standing in front of him.
Steve doesn't hesitate. "HEY!"
The jocks turn.
"Back off," Steve growls.
One laughs. "You again?"
Max steps forward, eyes flashing. "You really wanna do this?"
Before anyone can move —
A scream cuts through the night.
Dustin's scream.
High. Raw. Terrified.
It echoes through the trees.
Hopper stops dead.
Mike and Will freeze beside him.
Lucas emerges from the darkness at the same moment.
"That was Dustin," Lucas says, voice breaking.
Hopper already has his radio out. "All units—"
Another shout.
Closer.
Hopper looks at them — three kids, scared and loyal and in way too deep.
"Stay behind me," he orders.
They run.
Together.
The quiet is gone.
And Hawkins will never be the same again.