STRANGER THINGS HAVE HAPPENED_JIM HOPPER

046

"Erica, we don't have to express every thought that comes to mind. Some of them can remain locked inside our heads," Ana discouraged the younger Sinclair with a stern look in the rearview mirror. Not that her words did much good.

Dustin rounded on Steve accusingly when the older boy didn't immediately defend his honor. "Why are you hesitating, Steve?" The man in question fumbled for an excuse. He tried to convince his friend that he absolutely believed in his virtually perfect girlfriend, but the conviction didn't quite reach his words.

"Left. Turn left. Turn left now!" Dustin suddenly shouted, interrupting their dispute. This wasn't the first time Ana had been forced to off-road on one of their little adventures. Turning the wheel sharply, all the car's occupants were thrown to the side as the tires skidded onto the grass, and the convertible crashed through a low lying fence.

Ana tried to keep the car steady while weaving through the open field. "Where am I supposed to be going, Henderson?" She called to the boy behind her.

"Up!" Was all the answer she received as they approached a steep hill—no way the convertible would carry them all the way to the top. The Toddfather certainly wasn't graced with four-wheel drive, but she pressed a heavy foot to the gas regardless.

"We're not gonna make it!" Robin warned when the vehicle began to struggle in its climb. The wheels kept spinning, but they weren't gaining much traction.

Steve optimistically yelled from the back, "yes, we are. Come on, baby. Come on, baby!" Ana really hoped he was speaking to the car, and not its current driver. Least she'd have to smack him one later.

The convertible traveled a bit further up the hill before the engine strained, and the tires became lodged in the soggy dirt. Looks like they'd have to hoof it the rest of the way to Weathertop. Pulling the emergency brake so that the car wouldn't roll back down the knoll, Ana instructed everyone to hop out and start hiking.

Weathertop would have been an impressive sight under different circumstances. Seated at the highest point, Ana, Steve, Robin, Dustin, and Erica had a full view of Hawkins settled at the bottom of the valley. Their surroundings appeared serene in the night, when really they were anything but.

Dustin immediately set about preparing the radio for communication. The other four could really only watch on in silence. None of them were the science and technology type nerds that would prove particularly useful in this sort of situation. Flipping to the designated frequency, he called, "Bald Eagle, do you copy? Bald Eagle, I repeat, this is Scoops Troop, do you copy?"

Murray's less than enthusiastic voice echoed in return. "Yes, I copy." Those assigned the tile 'Scoops Troops,' chuckled in relief at the sound of his response. Maybe this plan could actually prove fruitful.

Dustin asked for Murray's call sign, simply to further antagonize the man on the other end of the radio. They squabbled back and forth before Ana whacked her student lightly on the shoulder, silently indicating that he should quit with the teasing. "Good to hear your voice, Bald Eagle. What's your 20?" He questioned, finally getting to the business at hand.

Murray's tone was clipped when he answered, "we reached the vent. I'll contact you when I need you. Until then, silence." He clearly hadn't been graced with the patience for taunting children.

"Roger that, Bald Eagle. This is Scoops Troop, going radio silent. 10-10, over." Dustin signed off for the group, and Steve gave the younger boy an encouraging pat on his shoulder.

Well, things had gone considerably well thus far. Now, all they had to do was wait until they were needed.

Murray clambered his way through the ventilation system, asking for directions when necessary. Directions Erica and Dustin were easily able to provide after their substantial time spent in the same air ducts. There was mention of a My Little Pony thesis, but Ana didn't ask for clarification. She'd long since learned that sometimes it was simply better to not know with this group of hooligans.