CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
BACK TO THE FUTURE
Abby stares at the movie screen as they burst into the movie theater. Beside her, Steve shoves a handful of the popcorn from the trash into his mouth. She glances at Dustin with an approving nod. The theater is perfect for evading the Russians, it's pitch black and full of witnesses. For now, it'll do. They scramble down to the two nearest vacant seats. Robin and Steve seem to have gotten a better bearing of their surroundings, though they still seem thoroughly discombobulated as they stumble across the carpet.
"You two sit," Dustin hisses.
"No, no, no! These seats are too close!" Robin complains loudly.
"Dude, these seats blow," Steve agrees as he shoves more popcorn into his mouth.
"Well good thing we're not just here for the movie," Abby hisses. "We're hiding, remember?"
"Well, we wanna watch the movie," Robin retorts.
"Then watch it!" Dustin exclaims. The man seated behind Steve leans forward and shushes them. Steve and Robin instantaneously turn back around to shush the man. Dustin holds back an exasperated sigh and quickly apologizes to the man. "Whatever you do, don't ... go ... anywhere."
"Fine, dad," Steve retorts. Robin lets out a snicker at this.
With that, Dustin, Abby, and Erica dart around the front row ducking out of the view of those who had already gathered there, apologizing profusely. They collapse into the three vacant seats on the end of the row, finally allowing themselves to relax. The adrenaline that had been pumping through Abby's veins is starting to wear away, her muscles ache and her eyes droop as she stares at the movie screen. She's not entirely sure what's happening as the man with Albert Einstien-like hair dressed in a white lab coat shouts about time travel, but she figures that it will make more sense as the movie progresses.
"Okay, it's official, I'm never having kids," Dustin mutters.
"Hey, they're only like that when they've been drugged by Russians," Abby replies in a whisper. "Usually. Probably."
Erica leans across Abby and whispers, "What are we doing here?"
"We're laying low," Dustin answers. "Cooling off. Like Oswald."
"Oswald was found in a theatre and shot to death," Erica replies.
"A week later."
"The point is, his plan didn't work," Erica responds.
"Well, good thing we're not Oswald," Abby whispers back. "Besides, it only didn't work because it was a set-up."
"What?" Erica questions.
"Yeah, he was just a patsy," Dustin agrees.
"Tell me you're joking," Erica hisses. The woman behind them leans forward to shush them, but Erica and Dustin only turn around to glare and her and return the gesture. Abby elbows both of her companions and sends the woman an apologetic look before Erica says, "We gotta get out of here."
Dustin nods and points toward Steve and Robin, who have made a game of seeing who can throw the most popcorn at each other. "All right, you two watch Tweedledee and Tweedledum. Make sure they don't go anywhere."
"Where are you going?" Erica questions.
"To find us a ride," Dustin answers as he pulls his radio out of his backpack.
"Be careful," Abby whispers before Dustin ducks and darts out of the movie theater.
Abby closes her eyes and leans her head back against her seat. She knows that it's dangerous now to fall asleep, but she's just so tired. Everything in her mind screams for her to fight away the claws of sleep, but the rest of her body is just so tired. She surrenders easily into the clutches of sleep as she closes her eyes, the voices of the movie fade around her as sleep comes closer and closer. Surely, only a couple of minutes won't do any harm. She needs her rest to keep up with the world that is rapidly continuing on around her.
She is shaking awake by a frantic Dustin and a rough kick to the shin from Erica. Abby pushes herself bolt upright in her chair. "What ... what happened?"
"Steve and Robin are gone," Dustin tells her frantically.
"Shit," Abby groans, her mind racing. She should've fought off the sleep, she should have pinched herself or done something to keep her above the surface, but she had allowed the current to drag her under. Steve and Robin could be anywhere. What if the Russians had found them? After all, in their discombobulated state, they were easy to subdue, easy to take away if they weren't too careful.
"I thought I told you guys to keep an eye on them," Dustin hisses.
"Yeah, well, I thought that Erica was watching," Abby retorts. "How was your luck getting that ride?"
"The battery died," Dustin answers.
"Oh, fuck, please tell me you're joking," Abby says with a dejected sigh as she buries her face in her palms. "We're stranded here?"
"Yeah, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there," Dustin whispers. "We have to find Steve and Robin."
They find Robin and Steve in the bathroom. They're sitting across from each other in the nearest stall, as they lean against the walls. They're laughing raucously, seemingly still oblivious to the danger that they have found themselves in. Abby only wishes that she can be as carefree and oblivious as they are right now. There have been no signs of the Russians, but that doesn't mean that they aren't lurking nearby. If anything, they're still waiting for the right moment to sink their claws into them.
Dustin barrels into the restroom and stands before them with his arms crossed over his chest. Abby and Erica soon follow as they stare down at the spectacle before them.
"Okay, what the hell?" He demands. Robin only bursts into another round of laughter and Steve soon joins her. Even Abby manages to crack a smile despite the dire situation.
✫*ﾟ･ﾟ｡.☆.*｡･ﾟ✫*
They huddle in the safety of the bathroom until they can hear the chatter of the people exiting the theater. Slowly and carefully, Dustin pulls open the bathroom door. Poking their heads out, they watch as the crowd trickles past. If they time it correctly, they will be able to seamlessly blend in with the crowd. If they were fast enough, they could climb onto the bus and get to safety, away from the mall, away from the Russians who can be lurking around any corner. They just have to be careful.
"And ... blend," Dustin instructs.
One by one, they file out of the bathroom and merge with the crowd. Steve is careful to keep his battered and bloody head down as they stick close together in the center of the crowd. Abby's eyes dart left and right in search of any Russians that may be tailing them, but it is nearly impossible to pinpoint a single person within the crowd.
"Well, shit, that worked," Erica marvels.
"Of course it worked," Dustin replies. "We just have to get on the bus with the rest of the plebes, and home sweet home, here we come."
"Uh, Dustin?" Steve voices.
"What?"
"Yeah, we might not want to go to your house."
"Why?"
"Well, I might have told them your full name," Steve admits.
Dustin's eyes widen as he stares back at Steve. He takes a deep breath, his cheeks puffing up before he hisses, "What is wrong with you?"
"Dude, I was drugged," Steve defends.
"So?"
"So?"
"So you resist!" Dustin exclaims. "You tough it out. You tough it out like a man."
"Guys," Robin says suddenly.
She reaches out a hand to stop Dustin as she stares straight ahead at a man saying something to a young woman. He's dressed in all black and his long hair is pulled into a sleek ponytail at the nape of his neck. Abby instantly recognizes him as one of the Russian guards. She feels her heart stop in her chest. Of course, the Russians would be guarding the exits and entrances. For so long, they had thought that they had the advantage, ducking into tunnels that were too small for the cat to fit into, but they had still found a way around the obstacle they had thrown in their path. Now, they're trapped.
"Abort," says Dustin, but he goes unheard as the rest continue to stare. It's then that the hawk-like gaze of the Russian lands on them. His stare is enough to spike the adrenaline in Abby's veins once more. "Abort. Abort!"
They don't need to be told twice. Robin leads the way through the crowd of people. Abby's heart has started to pound in her chest. This is the final chase. They can't keep avoiding the Russians forever, eventually, they'll make a mistake, eventually, they'll be irrevocably cornered. But they aren't going to go down without a fight.
"Shit," Robin whispers as they pull to a jarring halt in front of the escalator.
The stairs have stopped revolving, the Russians draw closer, Abby's heart beats faster as she glances over her shoulder. Like sharks, they swim through the crowd, they have caught onto their scent and they aren't letting go. The Russians' eyes are on them, and only them. And then Robin shoves herself in between the two escalators and slides down the metal. The others are quick to follow in suit. They don't stop running when their feet hit the ground.
Footsteps echo around them as they huddle together behind one of the counters in the food court. Abby finds her hand squeezing Steve's tightly, but even the warmth of his hand does nothing to comfort her in the final moments they have left. They sit shoulder to shoulder with their backs against the counter as the Russians search for them, weapons drawn. The only sound other than the thud of their shoes against the pristine tile floors is the sound of Abby's heart beating rapidly in her chest. She's sure that the Russians can hear it, that they can smell the fear that radiates off of the six as they huddle together.
Abby squeezes her eyes shut as the footsteps draw ever closer to where they hide. This is it. This is the end. This is where they're going to die, bleeding out, warm vermilion puddles spreading all over the white tiles of the foodcourt of Starcourt Mall.
Suddenly, a car alarm wails. Dustin lets out a loud gasp. Abby's eyes snap open. A horn blares. A faint rumbling sound fills the air. And then there's a loud scraping noise. A shout of alarm. And then an almighty crash. And then silence.
Slowly, quietly, the six peer over the edge of the counter. Abby's eyes widen at the sight before them. The floor of the food court is puddled with a vermilion liquid, but it isn't from them. The bodies of the Russians are scattered across the ground, unmoving and limp, eyes closed. The car that had once sat in the center of the food court is now on its side against the wall. It's dented and beaten up, completely destroyed. Shards of glass cover the floor around it, steam rises from the bottom of the car. The wheel cap spins around on the ground before slowing to a stop with a loud clatter. The bright red paint of the car matches the puddles of blood spilling from the Russians.
And then they look up and the balcony above them. Abby lets out a soft laugh and a wide grin spreads across her face as her eyes land on the group of teenagers assembled before them. El stands in the center, blood leaks from her nostrils as she leans against the rail, panting. Alex stands beside her and to her left stands Max, then Lucas, and finally Will. On the other side of El, Mike stands with his hands on the railing as he gapes down at the wave of destruction. Nancy and Jonathan stand together at the end of the line. And then there stands Isla Bauman, mouth agape and eyes wide.
The two groups run to meet each other. Alex barrels ahead, past Isla, Nancy, and Jonathan, past Lucas and Max, past Will, and past El who has an arm slung around Mike's shoulders. The girl throws her arms around Steve who is quick to let out a sigh of relief and return his sister's embrace.
"You look like shit," Alex tells Steve.
"Hey, I'll have you know I fought a Russian and won," Steve tells her.
"Before or after they beat you up?" She asks.
"Shut up," Steve responds. "And it was before, by the way. This happened after that."
Abby runs toward Isla and is quick to sweep her best friend into a tight hug. They rock back and forth for a few moments, holding tightly to one another before they pull apart and smile shakily at each other. Eventually, Alex's grip loosens from around Steve and she smiles up at Abby before pulling her into a hug. Abby lets out a small laugh and is quick to hug the younger girl back.
Dustin lets out a gleeful laugh as he pulls Mike and Eleven into a hug. "You flung that thing like a hot wheel!"
"Lucas?" Erica questions when her eyes land on her brother.
"What are you doing here?" Lucas demands.
Erica jerks a thumb toward Abby, Steve, Robin, and Dustin. "Ask them, it's their fault."
"True, yeah, totally true," Steve agrees. "It's absolutely our fault."
"I don't understand what happened to that car," Robin says.
"El has superpowers," Dustin responds.
"I'm sorry?"
"Superpowers," Steve repeats. "She threw it with her mind. C'mon, catch up."
"That's El?" Erica questions, motioning toward El.
"Who's El?" Robin asks.
Nancy interrupts and points at Robin. "I'm sorry, who are you?"
"I'm Robin," Robin answers. "I work with Steve and Abby."
"She's handled this very well," Abby tells them.
"She cracked the top-secret code," Dustin adds.
Steve nods. "Yeah, which is how we found out about the Russians in the first place."
"Russians?" Jonathan repeats. "Wait, what Russians?"
Steve gestures back toward the bodies of the Russians that are scattered across the ground. "The Russians!"
"Those were Russians?" Max questions.
Isla's eyes widen. "Holy shit, there are Russians in Hawkins?"
"What are you talking about?" Lucas demands.
"Didn't you hear our code red?" Dustin questions.
"Yeah, and I couldn't understand half of what you were saying," Mike replies.
"Goddamn low battery," Dustin curses.
"How many times do I have to tell you with the low battery?!" Steve snaps. He claps his hands together after each word for emphasis as he stares at Dustin with exasperation clear on his face.
"Well everything worked out, didn't it, Steve?" Dustin responds smugly.
"Worked out?" Erica repeats. "We almost died."
"Yeah, and the Russians know your full name now," Abby reminds him.
"Yeah, but we didn't die, did we?" Dustin spits back.
"It was pretty damn close," Steve mutters.
"Okay, Russians, as in they're working for the Russian Government?" Lucas asks.
Dustin rolls his eyes. "What is it that you're not comprehending? Am I not speaking English? We have a full-blown Red Dawn situation."
"So this has nothing to do with the gate?" Max asks.
Abby shakes her head. "No, this has everything to do with the gate."
Before anybody can explain further there's a grunt from behind them followed by a loud thud. The group whirls around to see El curled up on the ground. Her face sparkles with a sheen of sweat, there's still blood that trails from her nose. She lets out a groan of pain as Mike rushes toward her followed by the rest of the group.
"El! El!" Mike calls as he helps to roll her over.
"What's wrong with her?" Erica questions.
"What's wrong?" Mike asks.
"My leg, my leg," El sobs.
"Her leg, her leg," Jonathan repeats as he crouches down. "Okay. Get that off."
Abby's eyes travel down to El's outstretched leg and has to hold back a gag as she glances away. There's a bulking bandage wrapped securely around it. Bright, brilliant red has soaked through the white wrappings and bleeds onto her sock. It completely soaks her leg and starts to drip onto the ground below her, but that isn't what causes the group to erupt in a chorus of disgusted gasps. In the center of her shin sits an inflamed sore that almost closely resembles the gate. The edges, too, are bleeding black that trickles toward the purple sore.
And then something inside of it moves.