~July 2, 1985~
Holding on to what they could, the six had tried to maintain their balance as their screams filled the room as it continued to plummet down. Jessica wraps her arms around Steve, him tightening his grip onto her.
Jessica looks over at Ace who was all sprawled out on the floor, screaming. "I don't like this!" he cries. "I don't like this!" "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Robin orders as she was sprawled out against a shelf.
"Shit! Shit!" Dustin curses as he stumbles over to the panel, pushing every button in attempt to stop the room from moving. "We're going down! We're going down!" Steve screams. "Yeah, no shit, Harrington!" Robin screamed back. "Dustin, do something!" Jessica yells, burying her head into Steve's shoulder, squeezing her eyes shut as she suddenly started to get sick.
"Why don't these buttons work?!" Dustin screams, continuing pressing each button. Erica races over to Dustin. "Press the button!" "What do you think I'm doing?!" "Come on, press something! Just press the button!" Steve exclaims. "Dear God, if you're listening, please let me live! I promise I'll stop calling Jessica 'Jessie'! " Ace cries. Hearing Ace's confession, Jessica looks up at the ceiling. "Please let us live!" "Push it!" Erica yells slamming her hand down onto a button, the room suddenly pulling itself to a stop.
With his grip still on Jessica, Steve loses his footing, the two falling down to the ground. Steve falls onto his back, Jessica collapsing on top of him. "My groin," Steve groans. "You elbowed my groin." "I'm so sorry!" Jessica apologies, climbing off Steve. She sits beside Steve. He sits up and looks over her. "Are you okay?" "Feeling a bit nauseated. The feeling should pass soon." Steve gets to his feet and holds his hands out toward Jessica. She grabs a hold of his hands, Steve pulling her up to her feet.
"I can't feel my legs," Ace groans out as a box had toppled on to him when the room came to a halt. "Get this off of me!" Dustin rushes over to Ace and lifts the box off him. "I can't move," Ace groans. "Is everyone okay?" Robin asks, rubbing the sore spot on her head.
Steve lets go off Jessica's hands. "Yeah, I'm great, now that I know that Russians can't design elevators!" He walks over to the panel, moving Dustin out of the way. He begins pressing the buttons. "I think we've clearly established that those buttons don't work," Robin says as Ace stands up from the ground. "They're buttons. They have to do something!" Steve exclaims. "Yeah, if we had a keycard!" Robin exclaims.
Dropping his hand down from the panel. Steve turns to Robin. "A what?" "It's an electronic lock. Same as the loading dock door. If we don't have a keycard, it won't operate, meaning-" "We're stuck in here," Dustin states. Confirming the worst, Robin nods. Ace's eyes darts around the room. "Would this be the worst time to mention that I'm claustrophobic?" "Yes. Yes, it would," Jessica says deadpanned.
"Just so you nerds are aware, I'm supposed to be spending the night at Tina's, and Tina always covers for me. But if I'm not home for Uncle Jack's party tomorrow and my mom finds out you four" she points a finger at Robin first, then moves it over to Steve, then Jessica and lastly Dustin. "Are responsible, she's gonna hunt you down, one by one, and slit your throat."
Lifting his head up, Steve finally snaps. "I don't care about Tina! Or Uncle Jack's party! Your mom's not gonna be able to find us if we're dead in a Russian elevator!"
"Hey," Dustin says softly, tugging on his sister's arm. Pointing up, there was an opening on top of the elevator. "What if we climbed out?" "Great idea, Dusty," Jessica praises him as she walks over to a table. "Help me move this." Everyone rushes over and together; the six teens carry the table over to the opening.
They set it down onto the floor. Dustin jumps onto the table, standing on his tiptoes, he pushes the latch cover open. He lifts himself up through the opening and climbs onto the top of the elevator. Steve jumps onto the table next. As he was about to climb up, Jessica stops him. "Be careful." Steve nods and lifts himself up through the opening. He climbs through and sets foot onto the top of the elevator. He stands, his head tilting back as he stares up the elevator shaft.
"What were you saying about climbing?"
~July 3, 1985~
Jessica sits on top of a box, her eyes following Ace as he paces back and forth in the elevator. She feels Steve beside her. "Morning." Steve pauses. "It is morning, right?" he checks his watch. "Yep, it's morning. How'd you sleep?" "Like shit," Jessica says, keeping her eyes locked onto Ace.
Steve looks up at Ace. "Is he okay?"
"No, I'm not okay," Ace says as he continues to pace back and forth. "I'm stuck in an elevator rather than sleeping in my own big comfy bed. I just wanna go home," he whines. "And we will. We just have to figure a way out of here," Steve tells him. He then scans the room. He spots Robin and Erica, sitting together but Dustin wasn't anywhere to be found.
"Where's Dustin?"
Jessica points up at the latch. Steve sighs, hopping up onto the table. He can faintly hear Dustin pleading for help. "Code red, I repeat, code red. Does anyone copy? This is a code red, I repeat, a code red. This is a code red, I repeat, a code red. Does anybody copy? We are innocent children, and we are trapped under Starcourt Mall. The Red Army has infiltrated Hawkins, and if we are found, they will torture and kill us."
Steve jumps up, his head sticking out of the latch. "Hey." Dustin turns to Steve. "Gotta take it easy on that thing. Gonna drain the battery." "The mall just opened. Steve shrugs. "So?" "So, someone could be in range."
"What do you think, Petey the Mall Cop is gonna rappel down here and save the day?" Steve asks, climbing through the latch. "All right, why are you such a cranky pants after getting to spend the night with Jessica?" Steve chuckles, standing up. "We've spent plenty of nights together-" Steve pauses, noticing Dustin cocking an eyebrow up at him. "You little shit-" "I heard you guys talking all night. Is that what you two normally do?"
"Yes and no," Steve tells him. "What else do you do?" "I'm not telling you. That's between Jess and I." "Do you guys make loooovvvee?" Dustin drawls out. "Shhh!!! I do not need Ace hearing that, alright?" Dustin nods. Steve places his hands onto his hips. "For your information, we were trying to figure out a way to open up the door while you children were sleeping." Steve walks over to the wall. "After eight hours, we're still exactly nowhere, which is, you know, probably just a little bit of the reason why I'm feeling just...a tad cranky." He unzips his shorts.
Horrified, Dustin stood there as Steve's back was to him. "What are you doing?" Steve looks over his shoulder. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm taking a leak. Look away." Just as he had gone to turn back to the wall, he had seen that Dustin had ignored his order. "Look away!"
Dropping his head down, Dustin had slowly shifted his feet around to face another wall.
Down below, Ace was still pacing back and forth. He stops when he hears a noise coming from the top of the elevator. He scans the room, his eyes landing on a wall, where liquid was running down. "Oh, my God, we're gonna drown!" Jessica turns her head and rolls her eyes. "We're not going to drown, Ace." She then looks up at the ceiling. "Steve! Can you redirect your stream, please?"
Turning away, he had redirected himself. "Thank you!" Jessica yells as Ace begins taking deep breaths. "Okay, okay, okay, it's official. After we get out of this hellhole, I'm calling off." Jessica gasps. "The Ace Truscott is going to call out of work today?" Ace nods. "Yes, because at the moment, I can't stand you which is quite sad."
Jessica tilts her head. "Aw...I always can't stand you." "And this is why our friendship is superior." Jessica lets out a small giggle, making Ace smile. "Did I just make you laugh?" Jessica's smiles falters. "No." Ace points a finger at her. "Yes, I did." He claps his hands. "I finally did it! I finally got a smile and a laugh out of you."
"No-" Jessica pauses when she hears a clinking noise. She turns her head, seeing Erica hit the table with a container filled with green liquid. Jessica jumps up and runs over to Erica as Robin does the same. "Hey, hey! Be careful, careful, careful!" Robin yells, taking the container out of Erica's hands. "We don't even know what that is."
"Exactly. It could be useful," Erica tells her. "Useful how?" Robin questions. "We can survive down here a long time without food, but if the human body doesn't get water, it will die." "I hate to break it to you, but this is not water," Jessica tells her. "No, but it's a liquid and if it comes down to me drinking that shit or dying of thirst, I drink."
Ace hears a faint whirring sound. He walks over to the wall and presses his ear up against it. "Uh...guys...I think we got company." Robin walks over, pressing her ear against the wall. "Shit, he's right. Go get Steve and Dustin." Jessica jumps up onto the table and lifts the latch up, poking her head out. "We've got company."
Steve and Dustin glance at each other. "Shit."
Steve holds his hand out, Jessica taking it. Steve pulls her up. Dustin peers down into the latch. "Come on, hurry!" he urges Ace, Robin and Erica. Erica hops up first, Steve pulling her up, followed by Robin, then Ace. Steve shuts the latch just in time as two Russian men walk into the elevator.
Steve carefully leans over, peering down at the soldier through the screens. He looks up at the gang and brings a finger up to his lips, signaling for them to keep quiet. The two men conversed with one another as they moved the boxes out of the elevator. Steve keeps watch and notices only one box was left. He looks over at Erica and sees she still had a container in her hand.
Steve gestures for the container, Erica giving in and handing it over to him. Just as one of the two men left the room, the elevator doors began to close. Steve opens the latch and jumps down, his feet landing on the table. He hops down and throws himself down onto the floor. He slides over to the elevator door and props the container under it, causing it to stop. Steve breathes out a sigh of relief and sits up. "Let's go," He whispered as Erica tosses her backdown down, Steve catching it.
The five quickly jump back down into the elevator. "Go. Go, go, go, go, go." Steve urges Erica as he helps her slide underneath the door. "I'm going!" Next to go was Dustin, whose heart was racing as he crawls underneath the door. "Robin, go!" Jessica urges as Robin wastes no time, crawling underneath the doors.
"Peace out!" Ace yells as he drops to the floor and rolls himself out under the door. Steve turns to Jessica. "Jess!" Jessica gets down onto her stomach and crawls. Robin and Ace both grab her hands, pulling her out from underneath. The two let go causing Jessica to sit up. "Steve, hurry!" Steve quickly slides himself out just as the container begins to crack.
"Holy shit!" Jessica exclaims as the container breaks, the queen liquid sizzling out onto the floor. The six teens cautiously approach the elevator door, watching the green liquid dissolve the floor. Turning over to Erica, Robin bites back a smile. "You still wanna drink that?"
Turning his back to the elevator doors, Dustin's eyes grow wide, unable to take in what stood before him. "Holy mother of God." The others turn to see what exactly caught Dustin's attention. Out in front of them laid out the longest hallway, unable to see where it ended.
"Well...hope you guys are in good shape. Looking at you, roast beef." Steve says patting Dustin's chest as he begins to walk ahead of them. Dustin, Jessica, Ace, Robin and Erica stood still. Steve turns. "Let's go, come on." The five step forward. Steve holds his hand out.
"Aw, aren't you such a sweetheart," Ace says taking ahold of Steve's hand. Steve glares at Ace, pulling his hand out of his grasp. "Not you." He then turns to Jessica, taking her hand into his, the couple leading the way as their friends followed.
++++++
Jessica lets out a sigh, placing a hand onto her stomach as she feels a cramp coming on. "God, I don't think I've ever walked this many miles in one day." "Tell me about it," Ace huffs, wiping the sweat off his forehead. "How is it that we're still walking?! This tunnel is leading us too nowhere."
"I mean, you have to admit, as a feat of engineering alone, this is impressive." Dustin said, keeping his eyes forward. "What are you talking about?" Steve asks. "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."
"They're Commies. You don't pay people, they cut corners," Erica states as Steve looks down at her in confusion. "To be fair to our Russian comrades, I don't think this tunnel was designed for walking. Think about it, they developed the perfect system for transporting that cargo," Robin spoke. "It all comes into the mall like any old delivery," Dustin states. "And then they load it up onto those trucks and nobody's the wiser," Jessica says. "You think they built this whole mall so they could transport that green poison?" Steve asks the group.
"I very seriously doubt it's something as boring as poison. It's gotta be much more valuable, like promethium or something," Dustin says. "What the hell is promethium?" Steve asks. "It's what Victor Stone's dad used to make Cyborg's bionic and cybernetic components."
Erica grew disgusted. "You're all so nerdy, it makes me physically ill." "No, no, no. No, don't lump me in with them. I'm not a nerd, all right?" "Neither am I," Ace tells her. "You're looking at a straight C-average dude here." Jessica turns her head toward Ace. "That's not something to boast about." "Why so sensitive, Harrington? Afraid of losing cool points to a ten-year-old child?" Robin teases.
"No, I'm just saying I don't know jack shit about Prometheus." "It's Promethium, sweetie," Jessica gently corrects him. "Prometheus is a Greek mythological figure, but whatever. All I'm saying is, it's probably being used to make something," Dustin spoke. "Or power something," Robin suggests.
"Like a nuclear weapon?" Ace questions.
"Totally."
"Walking towards a nuclear weapon. That's great. That be great," Steve says, tightening his hold onto Jessica. She begins to rub circles on his hand with her thumb, instantly calming him down. "But if they're building something, why here? I mean, Hawkins. Seriously. Of all places. At the very best, we're a toilet stop on your way to Disneyland, but maybe that's it. Maybe it's our very-" As Robin continues her rant as she, Erica and Ace walk forward, Jessica stops, pulling Steve back. Dustin notices and stops as well.
"Holy shit," she gasps quietly. "Do you think the Russians know?" she questions the two. "About-" Steve begins but Dustin cuts him off. "They could," he tells them. "So, it's connected?" Steve asks. Dustin shrugs. "Maybe." "How?" Jessica shakes her head. "Beats me, but it's..."
"Possible," the three chorused.
Up ahead, Robin notices that Steve, Jessica and Dustin weren't with her. She turns, seeing the three in a discussion. "I'm sorry," she begins, drawing their attention onto her. "Is there something you'd like to share with the class?" Steve, Jessica and Dustin eye each other, unsure what they could say.
Suddenly, a static noise comes from Erica's backpack, followed by the voice of a Russian man. "Walkie," Dustin, Jessica and Steve said in unison. In a matter of seconds, the group had come back together, all huddled around as Robin took the walkie out of the backpack and held it out for all of them to hear. "It's the code," Robin says.
"Wherever that broadcast is coming from-" Dustin begins. "It's close," Jessica finishes. "And if there's one thing, we know about that signal..." she trails off. "It can reach the surface," Dustin says, hope filling him. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go," Ace tells them.
Packing the radio up, the group quickly got to their feet and continue to make their way down the tunnel.
++++++
The group's journey was ending as they had finally come in contact with the Russians. Staying low and out of sight, they had maneuvered through the tunnels, following Steve as he led them.
Soldiers walks through the tunnel, gun in hand as they kept careful watch of the facility. But Steve was quick on his feet and ushers the group behind a wall. The two soldiers pass by Steve poking his head out. "Okay, clear. Clear, come on, let's go," Steve tells the group, keeping a tight grip onto Jessica as he guides her along.
"Okay, that was close," Robin spoke. Dustin nods in agreement. "Too close." "Relax. All right? Relax. Nobody saw..." Steve trails off as they come to a stop, seeing a facility ahead of them, filled with Russian soldiers and scientists. "Shit." Steve curses, pushing the group behind a large red cart.
Erica sits on Jessica's lap. Peering her head out, she spots a door. "I saw it. First floor, northwest." "Saw what?" Jessica questions. "The comms room," Erica answers. "You saw the comms room?" Steve asks. "Correct." "Are you sure?" Dustin asks her. "Positive. The door was open for a second, and I saw a bunch of lights and machines and shit in there." "That could be a hundred different things," Dustin tells her.
"I'll take those odds," Robin whispers, looking at Steve for agreement. Steve sighs. With a shake of his head, he peers around the red cart, his eyes darting over to the door. He sits back up against the wall. "All right. We're gonna move fast, we're gonna stay low. Okay?"
The five teens nod behind Steve. "Okay, let's go," he whispers. Jessica taps Erica, signaling her to get up. Erica gets off Jessica's lap. Steve grabs for Jessica's hand once again and leads her and their friends through the base, hiding behind each crate while staying out of the Russians' sight. The teens move again, this time hiding behind another red cart. Steve watches as a man walks out of the room, the door swinging wide open.
Letting go of Jessica's hand, he rushes forward as the door closes. He places his hand in-between the small gap, stopping the door from fully closing. He steps in first, holding the door open a bit. "Sh, sh. Come on," he whispers as Jessica runs in first, followed by Robin, Erica, Dustin and Ace. Steve silently shuts the door, unaware of a Russian soldier behind them.
The group turn around, freezing as they see a Russian guard sitting in a chair, staring at them. The guard stands up and reaches for his weapon when Robin steps forward, holding her hand out. She begins to recite the code in Russian. The guard becomes confused as he questions Robin in Russian. The teenagers watch Robin gesture to herself in Russian.
Still confused as to why there were teenagers in the base, the guard reaches for his gun once again. The guard jumps slightly when Steve lets out a scream, running toward him. Steve collides into the Russian, the two falling onto the patrol board.
Jessica gasps, covering her mouth in shock as she watches on. The guard throws Steve off him and into another panel board. Steve turns just as the guard takes a swing at him. Steve ducks. Angry, the guard grabs Steve's shirt and pulls him up to his feet and throws him back into the panel board.
"Kick his ass, Steve!" Ace cheers on as Steve elbows the guard's stomach. As the guard hunches over in pain, Steve grabs a phone sitting on the panel. The guard stands up. Steve turns, striking the phone into the man's head. The guard falls into a table, hitting his head on the corner of it before falling unconscious to the floor.
Panting, Steve runs a hand through his hair. "Oh, my God," Jessica breathes out in amazement. "Dude!" Dustin exclaims as Steve looks up at his friends. Dustin points at Steve. "You did it! You won a fight!" Jessica steps over the guard and stands in front of Steve. Fisting the labels of his uniforms, Jessica pulls him down to her height, smashing her lips onto his. Steve immediately places his hands onto her hips and deepens the kiss.
"You know," Ace says, whispering into Robin's ear. "I would've repaid Steve the same way if Jessica hasn't beaten it to me first." Robin's brows rise at Ace's confession. "All right, all right," Dustin says walking over to the Russian guard. "Enough kissing, you two." Jessica and Steve break apart. "That was hot," she whispers to Steve whose cheeks began reddening at her confession.
Dustin bends down, messing around with the guard's belt. "What are you doing?" Erica asks him. "Getting us our ticket out of here," Dustin answers. "You want us to walk all the way back?" "Well, we can hang out for a little bit, relax, have a picnic maybe." "Have a picnic? We came here for the radio." "This plan is way better. If I knew Steve could knock out a Russian, that would've been our plan in the first place."
"Guys."
Steve, Jessica, Dustin and Erica look over at the stairs where Robin and Ace descend down from it. "There's something up there," Robin tells them. "You gotta see this," Ace says.
The four quickly follow Robin and Ace up the stairs. Blue and white colors flashes through the window of a door. Steve opens it and ushers his friends inside. Once everyone was inside, Steve steps in and closes the door behind him. The six teens stand in front of the large windows. Inside, they could see multiple scientists and soldiers working on a machine. The machine shoots out a long blue light at a red crack in the wall.
A crack that Jessica, Steve and Dustin knew all too well.
The Russians were trying to reopen the gate into the Upside Down.
"Holy shit," Dustin breathes out.
[Published 7/5/2022]