( steve is so overwhelmed by the rush of emotion he's been bottling up since finding himself back here in hawkins that he doesn't immediately clock what eddie's saying. but as he starts to come back to himself, eddie's words begin to register, and he has to ask himself — how is this possible?

obliterated. that's what they'd said would happen if he ever found his way back to hawkins. he'd be obliterated and that would be that because he isn't really steve harrington anymore. he's a copy set off on a diverging path from the original.

and yet, here he is.)

I don't know, ( he says at last, pulling back and squaring his shoulders as he wipes his eyes with the back of one hand. the others could come bursting back in at any moment, he reminds himself. as difficult as it might be, they have to try to keep it together.

his gaze wanders over eddie as if he might spot something, a clue of some sort of indicate if this is real or just another trick of the ship, but there's nothing. just eddie. )

It has to be real. I talked to Nance on the way here and she was just — ( he shrugs. ) You know, normal. Like, there's no way he could fake this much, right? That would be crazy.

( he feels a little like he's grasping for any shred of proof that this isn't the ship. in reality, he's pretty sure the captain could construct whatever kind of world he wanted only to jerk the rug right out from under them again. )

Maybe he got, like, I don't know, bored or something. Sent everyone back. ( it could happen, he tells himself. no — it did happen. obviously. otherwise they wouldn't be here. ) I mean, think about it. There's no other explanation.

( he states it firmly, with such confidence he almost believes it. )