LOUD AND CLEAR. steve harrington

the battle of starcourt.¹

Steve's words made Jonathan speak up, his voice louder than Arlo had ever heard it. Which wasn't very loud. "Russians?! What Russians"

"The Russians!"

"Those were Russians?" Max questioned, Arlo's eyes still shooting back and forth between the members.

"Some of them." Erica answered the girl, seeming excited to be involved in such an interesting topic.

"What are you talking about? Ida, why did you bring her here?" Lucas pressed on, Ida smiling slyly as she sent him a shrug.

"Free shit." The teen honestly answered while Dustin added on.

"Didn't you hear our code red?"

"Yeah, I couldn't understand half of what you were saying." Mike admitted, his body turned complete to Dustin who cursed to himself.

"Low battery!"

"How many times do I have to tell you with the low battery?" Steve scolded, his parental side coming out.

"Steve's right, c'mon, man. You gotta prepare better." Arlo scolded as well, his tone much more calm.

If the conversation wasn't so serious, Dustin would've cracked a joke about the boys both acting like his parents. "Well, everything worked out, didn't it?"

"Worked out? We almost died!" Ida nodded at Erica's words placing a hand on the girl's shoulder as she shook her head at Dustin.

"Yeah, but we didn't, did we?"

"It was pretty damn close." Steve admitted, scratching his jaw.

"Okay.. Russians?" Lucas brought the topic back up, his arms now crossed. "As in, they're working for the Russian Government?"

"Yeah, and they know Dustin's name." Arlo added on, making all the younger teen's mouths drop.

"They know your name?!" Mike replied in shock, shoving Dustin with his hand as he did so.

Dustin shoved back at the action, sighing as he spoke. "What are you not comprehending? Are we not speaking English?—Yes, they know my name and we have a full-blown Red Dawn situation!"

"So this has nothing to do with the gate?" Max squeaked out.

"It has everything to do with the gate!" Dustin stated matter of factly, the other Scoops Troops members nodding at his words.

"Yeah, man. The Russians are ripping that bitch open." Arlo added on, his words making Ida smirk.

Before Dustin could reword the boy's sentence, a thud sounded from behind them. Making the group turn their attention to the sound.

It was then that they realized El was on the ground, her eyes squeezed shut while blood dripping from her nose. Her face was currently grimacing in pain.

They stared for a few more seconds, Mike being the first to rush towards her. "El, El!"

At his action, the rest of the group followed suit. Some of the members kneeled beside her, Arlo opting to stand.

"What's wrong?" Mike questioned in a worried tone, placing a hand on her forearm.

"My leg.."

Jonathan acted next, seeing as he was already kneeling by her feet. He quickly move her pants upwards, revealing a gross wound.

The wound made Arlo hold back a gag, glancing away from the bulging red spot. Ida looked away as well, not wanting to have to look any longer.

El let out a few groans of pain, Mike yelling out for her while she screamed in pain.