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SEB WATCHED UPSIDE DOWN AS ROBIN PRESSED HER EAR TO THE DOOR. "What?" He asked, Robin turning to see him hanging upside down from the elevator. "We've got company." She answered, Seb's eyes widening. "We have company." He informed Steve and Dustin, them both freezing. "Don't touch me-" Erica's voice was silenced when the hatch door shut, just as the elevator door opened. Seb put a finger to his lips, the group quickly moving a top of the elevator as a hiding spot. A voice was heard, the same Russian language being spoken. Seb tilted his head when Steve stared at his hands. Whilst helping Erica up, he had to take the vial of green liquid from her, Steve getting an idea as the Russian's loaded boxes.
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"GO, GO, GO." STEVE HURRIED, USING THE VIAL TO HOLD THE DOOR OPEN AS ERICA WENT FIRST. "I'm going!" She stopped Steve's repeated words, doing as told. Dustin went next, quickly rushing through as Steve grabbed Seb's wrist, pulling him down. "Okay-" Seb let out, practically getting pushed through before Robin rushed after him. The four stood up as Steve was the last to exit the elevator. Seb flinched when the door broke the vial, the liquid spilling all over the floor. The liquid sizzled and started burning through the floor, Seb's head tilting. "Jesus Christ." Robin let out, everyone watching it. "Ooh!" Erica spoke, Robin turning to her. "You still wanna drink that?" She asked, pointing back to the liquid. Erica sighed, glaring at the back of her head-
"Are you stupid!" Everyone watched as Steve held Seb's hand. "What?" He asked, seeing nothing wrong. "You can't touch it!" Steve spoke as if it were obvious, Seb scoffing. "Why not?" The bickering continued as Erica turned around, seeing a very long corridor. "You tried touching it?" Dustin asked, Seb turning to him. "Yeah-" "Guys." Erica spoke, only Robin listening as she turned around, her eyes widening lightly. Hitting Steve's shoulder, he turned around too with Seb, forcing the younger boy to turn around.
"Oh for fu-"
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"I GET IT, YOU'RE UPSET BECAUSE I... BLEW UP THE CAR?" HOPPER ASKED, WALKING MEXT TO JOYCE AS THE SCIENTIST WALKED AHEAD. "Yeah, with me in it." Joyce added on, Hopper hitting the back of his neck from a mosquito. "Well, I just wanted to remind you of something, Joyce. I am not a mechanic." Hopper kept hitting the air around him from the bugs, Joyce sighing. "Yeah, clearly." She shot back, pointing to the scientist. "That's why you should've listened to Alexei." She scolded, Hopper nodding. "Oh, right, yeah. Your new boyfriend, right?" Hopper scoffed, Joyce humming sarcastically. "Yes. Every man I talk to from now on has to be my boyfriend." Joyce stopped, Hopper doing the same. "Yeah, he reminds me a bit of a Russian Scott Clarke." Hopper spoke, Joyce scoffing.
"Oh, here we go." She spoke, Hopper leaning down to her height. "Maybe you should go on a date. I don't know, I'm thinking, like, Enzo's?" Hopper suggested sarcastically, Joyce looking past him. "Woah." She let out, Hopper confused. "What?" He asked, Joyce nodding as she watched Alexei. "He's running." She informed, Hopper quickly turning around to see Alexei whimpering and running away from the duo. "You son of a bitch!" Hopper yelled as he immediately sprinted after, Joyce watching with her hands on her hips before following. "Hey! Smirnoff!" Hopper yelled, Alexei muttering Russian words as he scurried away. "Get back here!" Hopper yelled, Alexei smiling as he stopped suddenly. He started laughing, Hopper confused before seeing a '7-eleven'. Joyce caught up with them, the three staring at the store.
Shoving Alexei in first, the three entered the store, Hopper rushing towards the fridge. Alexei watched as he grabbed a can, opening it and chugging it on spot. Joyce did the same as she handed the scientist a can, him struggling to open it with handcuffs on. "You all gonna pay for those?" The clerk asked, Hopper burping as a response. "So, what are you, some kinda bounty hunter?" The clerk asked, Hopper trying to find his wallet to pay for the supplies he bought. Looking back from Alexei, the Russian eating slushy with his fingers, he stared at the clerk ahead of him. "I'm a cop." He informed, the teen tilting his head, obviously not convinced. "I'm undercover." Hopper added on, looking out of the window to see a car pull up, given it was a gas station.
Joyce was outside on the phone, calling Mrs Wheeler. "Hey, Karen, it's Joyce. Yeah, I'm just checking on Will." She informed, the door opening as Hopper pulled Alexei out, bag in hand. "At the movies?" Joyce assured, Hopper moving past her mindlessly as Alexei hurried to open the large slush cup. "Just keep your mouth shut, all right?" Hopper assured the man he was dragging, Alexei slurping loudly. Opening the car door without the man's permission, Hopper pushed Alexei into the car. "Alright, there we go." He spoke, the man turning around confused. He spread his arms wide, signalling he did not agree with this action. "Hey!" The man rounded the car, Joyce watching from afar. "Hey! This is a police emergency, all right?" Hopper assured, putting the bag in the car. Showing the man his badge and giving him no time to reply, Hopper continued.
"I need to commander your vehicle." Hopper spoke, moving past the guy to the driver's seat. "What?" Joyce's eyebrows furrowing. "What is your name, sir?" Hopper asked, the man following him. "Todd." He answered, Hopper humming. "Todd? Good." Hopper put the fuel pump back where it belonged. "Listen to me, Todd. That man in there, I know he doesn't look it," Todd looked to Alexei as Hopper spoke, the scientist slurping his slush with a large smile. "but he is one of the most dangerous men in the world. He's uh..." Hopper tried to find a crime worthy of making Todd believe he should let Hopper take his car. "murdered many children." The cop let out, Todd looking to him quickly. "What?" Hopper gave the man his meat stick, nodding. "I'll have to call you later, Karen." Joyce spoke quickly, hanging up and rushing to the three men.
"... a true psychopath. I tracked him over two state lines-" "What is going on?" Joyce interrupted, Hopper nodding. "Ah, Detective Byers." Hopper lied, Joyce very confused. "Uh, this is Todd." Hopper introduced, Joyce acting like a cop... putting her hand on her hip and nodding. "He's agreed to... lend us his vehicle to transport our dangerous criminal." Hopper informed, Joyce nodding to Todd before getting in the passenger seat of the car. "Oh, yes, he- very dangerous, uh," Todd was so lost, "Mhm," Hopper nodded, getting in after Joyce. "Child murderer." He informed again, Joyce shocked. "Child murderer?" She asked, Hopper coughing over her voice. "We should really get going." Hopper spoke, Todd moving next to his car. "How do I get my car back?" He asked quickly, Hopper shrugging.
"You just call the station." He 'answered', Todd still lost. "What station?" Todd asked, Hoper starting the car. Todd's previous heavy metal played, Hopper nodding. "Ooh, I like the sound of that, Todd." Hopper nodded, turning to Todd. "You're doing the right thing!" He yelled, speeding away as Todd chased them out on the road.
"What station?!"
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"I MEAN, YOU HAVE TO ADMIT, AS A FEAT OF ENGINEERING ALONE, THIS IS IMPRESSIVE." DUSTIN SPOKE, THE GROUP WALKING DOWN THE INSANELY LONG CORRIDOR. "What are you talking about? It's a total fire hazard. There's no stairs, there's no exit, there's just an elevator that drops you halfway to hell." Steve informed, Erica looking up to him. "They're commies. You don't pay people, they cut corners." Steve looked down at her confused. "To be fair to our Russian comrades, I don't think this tunnel was designed for walking." Robin informed, Seb humming. "Think about it, they developed the perfect system for transporting that cargo. It all comes into the mall like any old delivery. And then they load it up onto those trucks and nobody's the wiser." Robin informed further, Seb finally looking up from the floor.
"So they built the mall to transport green thing?" Seb asked, Steve nodding. "That green poison, yeah." He agreed, Dustin shrugging. "I very seriously doubt it's something as boring as poison. It's gotta be much more valuable, like promethium or something." Dustin suggested, Erica scoffing. "What the hell is promethium?" She asked, Seb agreeing with her question. "It's what Victor Stone's dad used to make Cyborg's bionic and cybernetic components." Robin answered, Seb looking to her. "Who?" He asked, Erica ignoring him. "You're all so nerdy, it makes me physically ill." She whined, moving at the back of the group next to Seb. "This idiot makes me feel somewhat okay." Erica spoke, Seb not knowing whether that was a compliment or an insult. "No, no, no. Don't lump me in with them two." Steve retaliated, Seb looking to him.
"I'm not a nerd, all right?" Steve assured, Robin humming. "Why so sensitive, Harrington? Afraid of losing cool points to a ten-year-old child?" Robin remarked, Seb smiling lightly. "No, I'm just saying I don't know jack shit about Prometheus." Steve defended himself, Dustin sighing. "Promethium. Prometheus is a Greek mythological figure, but whatever. All I'm saying is," He corrected, Seb looked to him. "it's probably being used to make something." Dustin spoke, Robin nodding. "Or power something." Seb tilted his head, Erica looking up to him. "Like a nuclear weapon?" Erica asked, Seb looking down at her and shrugging. "Maybe." He answered, Steve nodding. "Walking towards a nuclear weapon, great. That's so great-" "But if they're building something, why Hawkins?" Dustin asked, Robin agreeing. "I mean, Hawkins, seriously? Of all places. At the very best, we're a toilet stop on your way to Disneyland."
Seb nodded slowly, not understanding the reference. Disney? He started walking slower, Erica not noticing as she walked ahead with Robin and the rest of the group, shaming Hawkins. Russians... building something... weapon... "Sebastian?" Dustin asked, Seb now realising he had completely stopped. "What if the Russian's know?" Seb suggested quietly, Dustin's eyes widening as he grabbed Steve's arm. "What?" The older teen asked, Erica and Robin walking forward mindlessly. "What if they know about-" "Maybe." Seb suggested, the three conversing quietly. "I don't know if we should be here with Seb." Dustin spoke, Steve looking to him. "Wait, it's connected?" Steve asked, Dustin shrugging. "Maybe." He spoke, Steve making eye contact with Dustin. "How?" Steve asked, the two looking at Seb. "I'm sorry, is there something you'd like to share with the class?" The three looked to Robin quickly.
Before anyone could speak, static hissed, everyone looking to Erica. A voice was heard, Seb rushing to Erica. She took her backpack off, taking out the radio and handing it to him. Everyone surrounded them as Dustin awkwardly pulled the antenna up as Sebastian had forgot to do it. A man spoke in Russian, Robin looking at Seb. "It's the code." She informed, Dustin's head tilting. "Wherever that broadcast is coming from-" "It's close." Robin interrupted, Seb taking a deep breath in. He was not ready for this... again. "And if there's one thing we know about that signal... It can reach the surface." She continued, smiling. "Let's go." Robin grinned, snatching the walkie talkie from Seb and getting up. Both girls got up, Steve getting up slowly as Dustin stayed with Seb. "Hey, you alright?" Dustin whispered, Seb looking up to him.
"Hm." He let out, Dustin sighing in sympathy whilst pulling his best friend's arm up gently.
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[1988 words!]
Hope you enjoyed!
Byeee!