✓ Adventures In Babysitting / Steve Harrington ¹

𝙭𝙫𝙞𝙞𝙞. am(erica)

Robin reaches back for the blueprints and holds them before Erica.  "All right.  See this?  This is the route you're going to take."  She traces her finger along the red lines of the blueprint.  "Then we just wait till the last delivery goes out tonight.  Then you knock out the grate, jump down, and open the door."

"And you find out what's in those boxes?" Erica finishes.

"Exactly," Robin hums.

"Mhm," Erica nods.  "And you say this guard is armed?"

"Yes, but he won't be there," Dustin answers.

"And booby traps?" Erica asks.

"Booby traps?" Robin repeats.

"Lasers?  Spikes in the wall?"

"This isn't exactly Indiana Jones.  I think you'll be okay," Abby assures her.

Erica rolls her eyes.  "Well, think isn't good enough.  You know what this half-baked plan of yours sounds like to me?  Child endangerment."

"We'll be in radio contact with you the whole time—" Robin starts.

"Ah, ah, ah!" Erica interrupts.  "Child endangerment."

Abby lets a defeated sigh escape from her lips as she rests her forehead in the palm of her hand.  As much as she really does not want to admit it, she knows that they depend on Erica going through with their plan because if she doesn't, they'll only reach another dead end and they can't afford to circle all the way back to square one once again.

Dustin takes a deep breath and begins, "Erica?  Hi.  Uh ... We think these Russians want to do harm to our country.  Great harm.  Don't you love your country?"

At this, Abby shifts uncomfortably in her seat and averts her attention to the surface of the table.  There had been plenty of times when Abby questioned whether or not she would be safe out in the world once she had gotten to college.  It's already unsafe here in the small town of Hawkins.  The country that she lives in has not been kind to people with her color of skin, and still, even centuries later, prejudice lies within many of those who dwell there.  And of course, that's not all.  There are the people shamed for their practices and their beliefs, there are the people whose land had been stolen from them by the people who had built the country up, there are the people shamed for not wanting to give up their culture, for being anything other than American. 

"You can't spell 'America' without 'Erica'," is Erica's response as she takes the nearest soda cup and twirls the red straw in between her fingers, and slurps loudly.

Dustin stares forward and blinks silently.  "Uh, yeah, yeah.  Oddly, that's, uh, totally true.  So, so, don't do this for us.  Do it for your country.  Do it for your fellow man.  Do this for America ... Erica."

"Ooh, I just got the chills!" Erica exclaims as she finally sets down her float.  Dustin wears a proud grin as Erica turns to him and she is quick to clarify, "Oh, yeah, from this float, not your speech."  Dustin lets out a dejected sigh as Erica glances around the table and continues, "Know what I love most about this country?  Capitalism.  Do you know what capitalism is?"

Abby blinks but nods as she, Robin, and Dustin answer, "Yeah."

"It means this is a free market system," Erica continues to explain.  "Which means people get paid for their services depending on how valuable their contributions are.  And it seems to me, my ability to fit into that little vent is very, very valuable for you all.  So, you want my help?  This U.S.S. Butterscotch better be the first of many.  And I'm talking free ice cream for life."