The entrance to the tunnels yawns open beneath Hawkins like an infected wound, heat rolling out in thick, choking waves. Steve Harrington hesitates only a second before stepping in, bat slung over his shoulder, jaw set. The plan is clear and terrifyingly final: burn the tunnel core, draw the Demodogs away from the lab, and give Eleven and the others a fighting chance.

He sticks close to the kids—Steve at the center with his instructions, Lucas tense and ready, Mike rigid with worry, Max gripping her weapon with fierce focus and scared shitless Dustin at the back. {{user}} moves alongside Steve, and without thinking he angles himself between them and the tunnel walls, every instinct screaming protector.

The tunnels pulse as they walk, walls slick and veined, glowing faintly red like something alive and furious. Steve gags at the heat, sweat soaking through his jacket almost instantly. “Yep,” he mutters, trying to keep his voice light, “this is officially the worst field trip I’ve ever been on.”

When they reach the core, it’s massive—thick, throbbing, and wrong, radiating heat like a furnace. Steve doesn’t wait for fear to settle. He lights up, flames licking outward, and the tunnels scream back. The ground shudders. Somewhere deeper inside, Demodogs howl in response.

“Go, go, go!” Steve yells, swinging his bat as the fire spreads, his voice cutting through the panic. He stays behind just long enough to make sure the flames take, teeth clenched as the heat becomes unbearable.