The babysitters club|| Steve Harrington

21

"I mean you have to admit" Dustin shrugged, "As a feat of engineering alone, this is impressive"

"What are you talking about? It's a total fire hazard" Steve argued. "There's no stairs, there's no exit, there's just an elevator that drops you halfway to hell"

Matteo had no idea how long they had been walking. There was no natural light making him feel completely out of his depth, like he had entered an alternate dimension. The lack of open space and fresh air also made it quite stuffy so all Matteo could smell were his friends who hadn't showered in a day.

Yes, somehow, he had started to refer to a fourteen year old, a scary ten year old and Steve motherfucking Harrington as his friends. Maybe sleeping in the elevator had had some weird effect on his brain.

"They're commies" Erica reminded them, "You don't pay people, they cut corners"

"To be fair to our Russian comrades," Robin spoke up, "I don't think this tunnel was designed for walking"

"Dustin's right though, it's impressive"

Steve gave Matteo an incredulous look.

"Starcourt mall was built less than a year ago, I'm starting to think the whole thing was made as a front for these guys." Matteo shook his head, "So in less than a year they built all of this, without raising suspicion and built a whole fucking mall on top"

"The mall thing is ingenious" Robin agreed, "They developed the perfect system for transporting that cargo"

"It all comes into the mall like any old delivery" Dustin nodded.

"And then they load it up into those weird trucks and no one's the wiser" Matteo completed.

"Wait, so you think they built the whole mall just so they could transport that green poison?" Steve looked between the three of them.

"I very seriously doubt it's something as boring as poison" Dustin disagreed, "It's gotta be much more valuable like promethium or something"

"What the hell is promethium?" Matteo scrunched his nose.

"It's what Victor Stone's dad used to make Cyborg's bionic and cybernetic components" Robin explained, which may not sound like much of an explanation to others, but Matteo was used to her niche comic book references.

He, personally, was more of a book and movies kind of guy, while Robin preferred comic books and superheroes. It was fun when they would explain their interests to each other and draw similarities between them.

"You're all so nerdy" Erica clutched her stomach dramatically, "It makes me physically ill"

"No, no, no, no" Steve frowned at her, "Don't lump me in with them. I'm not a nerd, all right?"

"Why so sensitive, Harrington?" Robin teased. "Afraid of losing cool points to a ten year old child?"

"No, I'm just saying I don't know jackshit about Prometheus"

"Promethium" Dustin and Matteo corrected together.

"Prometheus was a Titan in Greek mythology— the one who stole fire? The one who created humans? Come on Harrington, he's like one the of the most famous mythological figures" Matteo ran a hand through his hair as he groaned with realization, "Oh my god, I am a nerd"

"Yeah, but you're pretty so it doesn't count," Erica pointed out, causing Steve to physically stop in his tracks.

"Hey come on, I'm right here, you know?"

Matteo just grabbed his arm and pulled him along. "Oh no, a ten year old doesn't find you attractive, truly the end of the world" He deadpanned.

"All I'm saying is," Dustin steered them back to the important conversation, "This place is probably being used to make something"

"Or power something" Robin suggested.

"Or to store a weapon" Matteo shrugged.

"Like a nuke?"

"Totally"

"Walking toward a nuclear weapon" Steve nodded, "That's great. That'd be great"

"But if they're building something, why here?" Robin asked, "I mean, Hawkins. Seriously? Of all places"

Matteo thought back to his conversation with Steve before he drifted to sleep as Steve and Dustin exchanged a look.

"At the very best, we're a toilet stop on your way to Disneyland," Robin kept rambling, not realizing as she and Erica walked ahead, the boys stayed in place. "But maybe that's it, maybe it's our very.."

Matteo loved Robin, he really did. And he was itching to tell her about what Steve told him. But he barely believed it himself, why would she? And without proof?

"You think the Russians know?" Dustin asked.

"About the..."

"They could," Dustin mumbled.

"So it's connected?" Matteo spoke up, causing Dustin to look at him and realize it wasn't just Steve and him.

"What?'

"The whole demo dog and your weird child with powers and some portal or some shit Harrington was telling me about last night"

Dustin's mouth fell open as he looked between Matteo and Steve, "You told him?"

"I mean, we might die down here so what's the harm?" Steve shrugged. "Plus it's not like he believes it"

"Not completely, but I do believe you"

Matteo wasn't sure if he imagined the slight pinkness to Steve's ears when he said that.

"So it's connected?" Matteo repeated, "Supernatural shit and then Russians in Hawkins. It has to be connected"

"How?" Dustin questioned.

"I don't know" Steve tucked his lips in, "But it's..."

"Possible" the two said in unison.

"I'm sorry" Robin whirled around, "Is there something you three would like to share with the class?"

Matteo looked at Steve who looked at Dustin. Neither one of them spoke. Matteo hated the way Robin eyed him, the slightly betrayed expression on her face. They had been best friends for around two years now, he hated not telling her about this.

But if their suspicions were correct and the Russians were related to all the weird stuff, then Robin would find out about it soon enough. And if not, Steve's heart eyes at her wouldn't just stay as heart eyes and he would spill it to her as well.

The walkie in Erica's bag crackled to life. A man started to talk in Russian again— just like Dustin's recording, only his voice was a bit muffled.

"Walkie" They all muttered, gathering around Erica as she pulled it out of her bag.

She handed it to Matteo who extended the antenna, all of them crouching around him, listening to the transmission.

"неделя длинная" The man said on the radio, "серебристый кот ест"

Matteo had listened to Dustin's stupid recording so many times that week, he could probably recite it in his sleep. "когда синий встречается с желтым на западе" He spoke in unison with the man. "It's the code"

"Wherever that broadcast is coming from—"

"It's close" Robin smiled at him, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "And if there's one thing we know about that signal..."

"It can reach the surface" Dustin grinned his toothless grin.

"Let's go," Robin urged.

Matteo saw Steve's eyes lingering on her for a second longer than necessary.