"It's not like it was before. It's grown. A lot. And, I mean, that's considering we can get in there. The place is crawling with those dogs."

"Demo-dogs." Dustin cut Hopper off, the man sighing as he spoke.

"I'm sorry what?"

"I said, uh, Demo-dogs. Like Demogorgon and dogs. Like you put them together it sounds pretty badass--"

"How is this important right now?" Hopper raised his voice, looking at Dustin with a glare that could kill.

"It's not I'm sorry." Dustin apologized, turning away from Hopper.

"I can do it." Eleven said, looking to the chief.

"You're not hearing me." He sighed out.

"I'm hearing you. I can do it." She reassured, her face convincing almost everyone in the room. If anybody was gonna be able to do it, it was her.

"Even if El can, theres still another problem. If the brain dies, the body dies." Mike said, stepping forwards so everyone would listen to him.

"I thought that was the whole point." Max said.

"It is, but if we're really right about this... I mean if El closes the gate and kills the mind flayers army..."

"Will's a part of that army." Lucas revealed, the boy shaking his head.

"Closing the gate will kill him." Mike said.

"So we have to get it out of him first." Christine said, everyone looking at Joyce as she listened to them all talk. She stood from the table, everyone following her as she walked down the hallway. They approached Will, Joyce looking at the open window and then speaking.

"He likes it cold."

"What?" Hopper asked, looking at Will on the bed.

"It's what Will kept saying to me. He likes it cold." She walked to the window, pulling it closed and turning back around. " We keep giving it what it wants."

"If this is a virus and Will's the host, then..." Nancy started, Jonathan finishing her sentence.

"Then we need to make the host uninhabitable."

"So if he likes it cold..." Nancy started again, this time Joyce giving the answer.

"We have to burn it out of him."

"We have to do it somewhere he doesn't know this time." Mike said, looking at the adults in the room.

"Yeah somewhere far away." Dustin confirmed, Hopper seeming to think of a place. He wrapped Will in the blanket, picking him up and carrying him outside with Joyce and Jonathan as he shouted directions. Christine stood on the porch as Mike said his goodbyes to Eleven, Nancy getting in the car with Jonathan at the last second and making Christine look over at Steve. The look on his face was indescribable, acceptance perhaps, with a multitude of sadness and pain. Christine did what she could to comfort him, the girl snaking her hand down his arm and holding his hand. He accepted it, his eyes not leaving the car as it drove away, his fingers squeezing hers almost as if to say that he was okay. He turned to look down at her as the cars disappeared out of sight, a pained smile crossing his pink lips.  He let go of her hand, beckoning all the kids inside and closing the front door. Dustin immediately started clearing out the fridge once he got inside, Christine shaking her head and asking him what the hell he was doing.

"We're gonna put the demo-dog in the fridge to preserve its body. Steve wrap it up in that blanket and bring it over here." For some strange reason he actually did it, Steve standing behind the boy with the dead Demo-dog in his arms. The stench was atrocious, Christine plugging her nose and gagging, taking about ten steps back and then gagging again.

"Alright. It should fit now."

"Is this really necessary?" Steve asked, giving Dustin an emotionless look.

"Yes, it is, okay? This is a ground-breaking scientific discovery. We can't just bury it like some common mammal, okay? It's not a dog."

"All right, all right, all right. But you're explaining this to Mrs. Byers alright?" Steve said, pushing past Dustin and struggling to put the monster inside. Christine almost laughed at the struggle, but then the smell hit her again and she gagged. They slammed the fridge door closed, Steve rubbing Dustins head as they both let out a breath. Christine excused herself to the bathroom, the girl not realizing how long she had been holding it until she got into the bathroom, her bladder feeling like it was about to explode. She hurried and got done with it, the girl washing her hands and drying them quickly before walking out and into the middle of their conversation.

"Listen, dude,  a coach calls a play in a game, bottom line, you execute it. All right?"

"Okay first of all this isn't some stupid sports game. And second we're not even in the game. We're on the bench." Mike said, Steve stammering as he tried to think of what to say to that.

"So my point it...right, yeah, we're on the bench, so, uh, there's nothing we can do." Christine facepalmed at that, letting out a sigh at how terrible he was at pep talking.

"That's not entirely true. I mean, these Demo-dogs, they have a hive mind. When they ran away from the bus they were called away." Dustin said, Christine already following what he was saying.

"So if we get their attention..."

"Maybe we can draw them from the lab." Max finished Lucas' sentence, Mike laying out the rest for them.

"Clear a path to the gate."

"Yeah and then we all die." Steve said, opening his arms as he listened to their stupid plan.

"That's one point of view."

"No, that's not a point of view man. That's a fact." Steve said to Dustin as Mike pushed past them.

"I got it. This is where the chief dug his hole. This is our way into the tunnel. So...here, right here. This is like a hub. So you got all the tunnels feeding in here. Maybe if we set this on fire--" Steve cut Mike off at the word fire, his head shaking as he put his hands on his hips.

"Oh yeah? That's a no."

"Steve let them talk." Christine said, shaking her head at him.

"You're supposed to be on my side with this." He said, shaking his head back at her, his voice desperate.

"The mind flayer would call away his army."

"They'd all come to stop us."

"Then we circle back to the exit."

"Guys." Steve tried to get their attention, Christine just standing back and letting him do whatever he was going to do.

"Then by the time they realized we're gone."

"El would be at the gate."

"Hey. Hey! Hey! This is not happening." Steve yelled over the buzzing kids, all of them turning to look at him.

"But--"

"No,no,no,no,no. No buts. I promised I'd keep you shitheads safe, and that's exactly what I plan on doing. We're staying here. On the bench.  And we're waiting for the starting team to do their job. Does everybody understand that?"

"This isn't a stupid sports game!" Mike yelled back at him, Steve shaking his head and not taking anymore backtalk from the kids.

"I said does everybody understand that? I need a yes." Before anyone could answer there was a loud engine rev, everyones attention turning to the window as Max hurried over. Christines blood ran cold at Max's next words, the girl remembering that she had forgotten one thing about Billy; they had a date.

"It's my brother. He can't know I'm here. He'll kill me. He'll kill us." Steve looked at the door, knowing what he had to do. The tires screeched outside, Christine  and Steve hurrying outside to greet Billy, and to make sure that he didn't get past the doorway. Billy stepped out of the car, a cigarette between his lips as Steve stood in front of Christine.

"Am I dreaming, or is that you, Harrington?" Billy asked, a genuine look of surprise on his face as he looked at Steve.

"Yeah, it's me. Don't cream your pants." Steve retorted, his hands on his hips as Billy removed his jacket. He spotted Christine, his head moving to the side as he tried to catch her eye.

"And Christine Wheeler. My hot date. My, my what a crowd we got here." Billy said, taking a few steps closer to the two of them.

"I'm sorry. I meant to canc-"

"You really ditched me for old king Steve? Well... your loss sweetheart." Billy said, flicking his cigarette ashes into the yard and looking Steve over.

"What are you doing here, amigo?" Billy asked Steve as he walked up to him.

"I could ask you the same thing. Amigo."

"Looking for my stepsister. A little birdie told me she was here." Billy said, looking over Christine now.

"Huh that's weird, I don't know her."

"Small? Redhead? Bit of a bitch. Ask Christine...she knows her." Billy said, gesturing to the girl who had her arms crossed over her chest, trying not to freeze to death.

"Max isn't here Billy. I can keep an eye out for her though." Christine said, walking up to where the two guys were standing and stopping beside Steve.

"You know, I don't know, this...this whole situation Harrington, I don't know. It's giving me the heebie-jeebies."Christine was quick to roll her eyes at his words, the corner of Billys lip turning up as he started to get angry.

"Oh yeah? Whys that?"

"My 13-year-old sister goes missing all day. And then I find her with you in a strangers house. And you lie to me about it. " Steve let out a dry laugh at that, shaking his head and then looking back at Billy.

"Man, were you dropped too much as a child, or what? I don't know what you don't understand about what I just said. Shes not here." Billy used his cigarette to point towards the house, Christine turning her head, her eyes widening as Billy spoke.

"Then who is that?"

"Oh, shit. Listen--" Before Steve could even get his explanation out Billy pushed him, Steve falling to the ground beside Christine. She gasped, her face reddening as Billy leaned down to say something to Steve.

"I told you to plant your feet." Billy said, kicking Steve to the ground.

"Stop!" Christine shouted, the girl pushing Billy away from Steve. He let out an almost evil laugh, Billy pushing Christine back as well, the girl quickly falling to the ground and groaning. Steve got up from the ground quickly, running over to Christine but she was quick to speak.

"I'm coming. I'm fine! Go help them." She said, Steve quickly turning and running inside. By the time that Christine got inside Billy was laughing manically, Christine running over and pushing the kids behind her.

"Looks like you got some fire in you after all, huh? I've been waiting to meet this King Steve everybodys been telling me so much about."  Billy said, stepping closer to Steve.

"Get out." Steve said, pushing Billy back with his fingers. Billy stared at Steve for a second before throwing a punch, Steve ducking and then punching Billy again. The kids started to cheer for him, Christine getting angrier by the second as Billy started to laugh again. He punched Billy again and then one more time, Billy laughing as he leaned against the counter top. He grabbed a plate from the counter, smashing it over Steves head and making Christine yell out. Steve stumbled away, Christine pushing the kids away from Billy and then running towards the kitchen. Billy punched Steve again, Steve grunting as he tried to get away.

"No one tells me what to do." Billy said before headbutting Steve, the boy falling to the ground. Christine came up behind Billy, wrapping her arms around his neck and using her body weight to pull him away from Steve. Billy threw his elbow right into Christines face twice, the girl feeling her nose crack and falling to the floor.

"Oh my God Christine!" The kids shouted for her, Billy kicking the girl as he walked by, her head pounding as he connected his boot with it. She could feel the blood rushing from her lips and from her nose, the girl struggling to get onto her knees. She grabbed a broken piece of glass as she coughed, blood coming out of her mouth as she finally was able to crawl.  She could hear the blows landing on Steve, the ridiculous ringing in her head making her feel really light headed. Just as she got close enough to get him with the broken glass, Max came up behind him, pushing a syringe into his neck and causing him to stop hitting Steve. Christine crawled over to Steve as  Billy fell to the floor, the girl tapping him as she tried to see if he was still conscious.

"Guys hes not... hes no-"Christine fell back this time, her eyes drooping as the pain finally hit her.  The last thing she heard was the kids yelling her name, and then she was out.