"𝐈'𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐝, 𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐬. 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐧."
; 𝐖𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑
𝐚 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 ;
⊳ ⊲
"Nancy!" Jonathan yelled out, shining his flashlight all around them.
Dakota stood beside him, eyes scanning their surroundings. "Come on... Nancy! Where are you?"
If she answered, the boys couldn't hear her.
"Nancy!" Dakota repeated, getting more worried by the minute.
"Wait- Did you hear that?" Jonathan grabbed his arm.
He stopped and listened.
"Dakota!" They heard Nancy shout. It was faint and had an echo.
"Nancy, I'm right here!" Dakota yelled.
"Dakota, Jonathan!" She repeated.
"We're right here! Nancy!" Jonathan called. "Just follow our voices!"
"Jonathan!" Nancy screamed.
"Follow our voices!" Dakota tried to be louder, but his throat was starting to hurt. "We're here, right here! Nancy!"
They heard something to their left. "Nancy?" Dakota shouted as the two started towards the direction they heard. "What the hell..." He slowed to a stop in front of a tree. There was an opening covered in slime and it seemed to lead them into a darker place.
Dakota didn't hesitate when he saw it was closing slowly. He harshly dropped the bags he was holding, his axe falling to the ground next. Dakota's grip tightened on his flashlight as he crouched to the ground.
"Nancy...?" Dakota stared into the opening. "Nancy!" He shined his light into the darkness, hoping it would make it through the slime for the girl to see. "Follow my voice, Nancy!"
"Dakota..." Jonathan stood behind him, flashlight also aimed at the opening. "Careful."
"If she doesn't come out, I'm going in." Dakota said.
A hand suddenly shot out from the sludge, making both boys jump back. Dakota falls backwards, arms hitting the ground to hold himself up.
"Dakota!" Nancy yelled.
The boy gasped and grabbed her hand. "I got you..."
Dakota pulled as hard as he could and Nancy started to climb through the tree. He pushed his feet on the edge of it and wrapped his arms around Nancy's shoulders as they broke free. Dakota didn't care how slimy and messy she was, he just pushed against the tree and pulled her out.
He fell back again, his back hitting the ground this time. Nancy fell on top of him, arms wrapping around his neck.
Dakota pushed himself up and moved his arms to wrap around her torso. "I got you." He said.
She held him tight, eyes squeezed shut. Her breathing was heavy and Dakota knew how scary it must have been in there. He glanced back to see Jonathan staring down at them with a worried expression before he looked back at the tree. The opening had slid to a close.
Dakota rubbed her back as she still wouldn't let him go. "It's okay."
--------------------
The two boys sat in silence as Nancy showered. Dakota sat on the floor with his back against the bed, while Jonathan stood by the door with his arms crossed.
"Are you okay?" Jonathan spoke first.
"Hmm?" Dakota snapped out of it and looked up. "Fine. Nancy's the one that went through that shit."
Jonathan eyed him. "Yeah, right." He nodded with a sigh. "I'm gonna get some blankets."
"I'll help." Dakota pushed himself up.
A bit later, Nancy was groggy with her movements as she walked back in. She looked over to see Jonathan adjusting the blanket on the ground and Dakota standing behind him with another one in his hand.
"Better?" Jonathan asked.
She nodded slightly. "Yeah?
"Is this okay?" Dakota asked. "We found them in the closet."
Nancy furrowed her brows.
"We can go home-" Jonathan stood up.
"Yeah, no, no. I..." Nancy shook her head. "I don't want to be alone. Do you?" She looked between them.
"No, uh... No." Jonathan answered.
Dakota was silent. He didn't want to be alone, but he was worried about Sebastien being home with his mom.
"Koda?" Nancy asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Sorry..." He sighed. "I'll stay, too, if you want me to."
She nodded, getting one back, before she walked over to her bed.
Dakota watched Jonathan settle into the blanket he set up before he walked over to the side of the bed and lay his blanket down. He threw a pillow down, glanced at Nancy, glanced at Jonathan, glanced at the axe against the wall, and then he got on the ground.
Before he could lay down, Nancy sat up and looked over at him. He met her eyes with furrowed brows.
"Can you just come up here?" She asked.
Dakota opened his mouth in shock before closing it again. "Me?" He looked over at Jonathan on the ground, but saw the boys' eyes starting to flutter to a close.
"Please." Nancy said.
Dakota got to his feet again. "Yeah."
He didn't have to take too many steps to reach the bed, considering he was right next to it. Dakota sent the axe against the wall one final glance before he crawled on the bed next to Nancy. He didn't get under the covers beside her, he just laid down beside her.
"Do you want me to turn the lights off or keep-" Dakota went to ask.
"On." She cut him off.
He nodded and things went quiet for a few minutes. Dakota could tell she was still wide awake, though. "It can't get us in here, Nancy." He tells her.
Her face scrunched up in the slightest amount of fear. "We don't know that."
Dakota didn't say anything back. He rolled to his side softly and the two didn't speak again.
The next morning, Jonathan woke up after both Dakota and Nancy. He sat up to see them already talking to each other on the bed as they were pointing down at something in front of them, Nancy with a pencil in her hand.
"Hey." He said. "Couldn't sleep?"
Dakota looked at him first. "Nope."
Nancy shook her head. "Every time I close my eyes, I just... keep seeing that... thing."
"Yeah, I know how that feels." Dakota nodded. "Get up here, man."
Jonathan gets to his feet and walks over to the bed. He sits in front of Dakota.
"Wherever I was was, that place... I think that it lives there." Nancy said. "It was feeding there. Feeding on that deer." She taps her pencil against the book on the bed. "That means that if... if Will and Barbara..."
The boys look at each other. Nancy hating crying, or getting emotional in general, in front of other people. They knew that well enough.
Dakota clears his throat and nodded for Jonathan to comfort her. He was always the best at it.
"Hey." Jonathan leaned forward. "My mom said she talked to Will. If he's a alive, there's a chance Barbara is, too."
"That means that she's trapped... in that place." Nancy counters. "We have to find it again."
"You want to go back out there?" Jonathan questions.
Dakota shook his head. "Maybe we don't have to." He shrugged.
"Yeah. When I saw it, it was feeding on that deer. Meaning it's a predator, right?" Nancy dives into the explanation.
"Right." The Byers boy nods along.
"And it seems to hunt at night, like a... lion or a coyote." Nancy shows him the book her and Dakota were looking at. "But it doesn't in packs like them. It's always alone, like... like a bear."
"And, if you remember, at Steve's house, Barbara cut herself." Dakota adds. "She had that bandage on her hand."
Nancy nodded. "And then, last night, the deer..."
"It was bleeding, too." Jonathan started to catch on to what they were saying.
"Yeah, here." Dakota reached forward and pulled another book out from under the other one. It showed a picture of a shark. "Sharks can detect blood in one part per million."
"That's one drop of blood in a million, and they can smell it from a quarter mile away." Nancy continues.
Jonathan's brows were furrowed. "So, you guys are saying it can detect blood?"
Nancy tilted her head and met Dakota's eyes momentarily. "It's a theory."
"We could test it." Jonathan suggests.
"But if it works..." Dakota narrowed his eyes in worry.
"At least we'll know it's coming." Nancy said, looking at him again.
The door knob suddenly rattled harshly and the three jumped. Dakota and Nancy's hands met in between them, holding onto each other.
"Honey, are you up?" Karen's voice asked from the other side of the door.
Nancy let out a breath. "Yeah, I'm... I'm getting dressed."
"I, uh, made some blueberry pancakes." Her mother tells her.
"I'll be down in a second." Nancy replies.
Nancy looks back to see Jonathan looking at her with raised eyebrows. She moves her gaze away from him and down to her hand holding Dakota's.
The Kumar boy awkwardly pulls his hand away and rolls his eyes at Jonathan when he notices the look on his face.
"Your mom doesn't knock?" Jonathan mocks.
Dakota smiles to himself as Nancy chuckles.
--------------------
"I just... I can't believe she didn't come back." Mike paced around the basement.
Sebastien grimaced, standing next to Dustin. "Well..."
"She's gotta be close." Dustin elbowed him.
"She said it wasn't safe." Mike ignored them. "She just messed up the compasses because she wanted to protect us. She didn't betray us."
"Mike, calm down." Dustin said.
"I shouldn't have yelled at her. I never should've done that." Mike scolded himself.
"It's not your fault, Mike." Sebastien sighed.
"Yeah, it's Lucas'." Mike nodded.
"It wasn't his fault, either." Dustin disagreed.
Mike finally stopped pacing and turned to face his friends. "It wasn't his fault?"
"Absolutely not." Sebastien shook his head.
"So, you're saying he wasn't way out of line?" Mike scoffed.
"Totally, but so were you!" Dustin retorted.
"What?"
"And so was Eleven!" Dustin added.
"Oh, give me a break!" Mike rolled his eyes.
"No, Mike, you give me a break." Dustin stepped towards him. "All three of you were being a bunch little assholes. Seb and I were the only reasonable ones, and he lost control of his superpowers. That we didn't even know he had!"
Sebastien nodded along, agreeing with every word. He was surprised that they hadn't talked about it, though. They kind of just swiftly moved past the fact he had superpowers.
"But the bottom line is... you pushed first." Dustin finished his tangent.
"You know the rule, dude." Sebastien stepped up beside the Henderson boy. "You draw first blood..."
Mike's face scrunched up in disgust as he took a step back. "No! No way! I'm not shaking his hand."
"You're shaking his hand." Dustin said.
"No, I'm not." Mike shook his head.
"This isn't a discussion. This is the rule of law!" Dustin continues. "Obey or be banished from the party."
Sebastien raised an eyebrow. "You want to be banished from the party? We'd like to keep our paladin, you know!"
"No." Mike sighed.
"Good." Dustin turned around and started to pull his jacket on.
Sebastien gave Mike a curt nod and went to do the same.
"Where are we going?" The Wheeler boy questioned.
"Where do you think?" Dustin asked sarcastically. "We're going to get Lucas." He walked over and tossed Mike his bag. "And then we're gonna find Eleven."
Sebastien sighed and pulled his bag over his shoulder.
"And then we have a very lengthy discussion on Sebastien having super powers." Dustin added.
"Or not." Sebsatien shrugged and gave them an innocent smile.
--------------------
The three rode up to Lucas' house on their bikes. They slowed to a stop and dropped them off to the side before walking up to the front door.
They stand side by side and wait for their friend to come to the door after Mike rings the door bell.
It doesn't take long for Lucas to pull the door open. He looks at each of them, a blank expression on his face. "What do you want?"
No one moved. Sebastien looked to his right to Mike. He rolled his eyes and smacked him on the back of the head.
Mike sighs. "I drew first blood, so..." He holds his hand out.
Lucas looks at him, down at his hand, then at him again.
They now stood inside the house as Lucas paced in front of them. He had a questioning expression, thinking the decision over.
"Okay, I'll shake." Lucas stops pacing, and Mike holds his hand out. "On one condition. We forget the weirdo and go straight to the gate."
"Then the deals off!" Mike bites.
"Fine!" Lucas throws his arms out.
"Fine!"
"No, absolutely not! Not fine!" Sebastien groans. "Are you both idiots?"
"Guys, seriously?" Dustin agrees. He grabs Mike's shoulder and turns him to face him. "Do you even remember what happened on the Bloodstone Pass?"
The other two look at each other in confusion. They did not remember.
"I do." Sebastien nodded.
Dustin makes an exasperated expression before he lets out a sigh. "We couldn't agree on what path to take, so we split up the party, and those trolls took us out one by one. And it all went to shit! And we were all disabled! So we stick together, no matter what."
"Yeah, I agree." Lucas says. "But this is the party, right here in this room."
"El's one of us now." Mike counters.
"Um, no, she's not. Not even close!" Lucas shakes his head. "Never will be. She's a liar, a traitor-"
Mike cuts him off. "She was just trying to keep us safe! She didn't meant to hurt you. It was an accident! And Sebastien attacked her after it happened!" Mike turns to face the boy.
Sebastien's eyes go wide. "I attacked her? I didn't even know I could do these things until a few days ago. I've been losing my mind every time I accidentally made plants shoot up from the ground, or trees go haywire! And then neither one of you would stop arguing, so I lost control. I didn't attack anyone!"
"Alright, accident or not... admit it. Both were a little awesome." Dustin says.
"Awesome?" Lucas stares in disbelief.
"Yeah, she threw you in the air with her mind!" Dustin recalls. "And Seb made vines come out of no where!"
"I could have been killed!" Lucas enunciates.
"Which is exactly why we need her. She's a weapon!" Mike says.
Sebastien furrows his brows. "A weapon? Mike, she's our age. She's not a weapon." Dustin went to say something, but Sebastien held a hand up. "And neither am I." Dustin shut his mouth.
"Do you seriously want to fight the Demogorgon with a wrist rocket?" Mike ignores Sebastien. "That's like R2-D2 going to fight Darth Vader! We're no use to Will if we're dead."
"If you three wanna waste your time looking for a traitor, go ahead, 'cause I'm not spending my time on her anymore. No way!" Lucas argues. "I'm going to the gate. I'm gonna find Will."
Lucas shoved past them and walked away.
Sebastien looked at the other two before sighing. "Wait, Lucas-"
"Seb-" Mike grabbed his wrist.
The boy pulled away and shrugged. "I'm not letting him go alone. He's my best friend."
"So are we!" Mike looked a little hurt.
Sebastien didn't like that. "I know you are, but I can't let him go alone. Sorry, Mike."
Sebastien and Lucas stood side by side in the latter's bedroom as they prepared to go to the gate. Lucas piled things into his backpack, weapons, flashlights, binoculars, and more weapons. Sebastien didn't add anything extra to his backpack. He kept the usual first aid kit, an extra sweater, a flashlight, and other miscellaneous things.
The Beckett boy watched his friend pull a utility belt around his waist and bandanna across his forehead and tie it in the back. He raised an eyebrow.
"We're finding a gate to another dimension, not going into war." Sebastien scoffed.
Lucas shrugged. "It's a gate to another dimension, Seb. We don't know what we'll find there. And you aren't packing any weapons, so."
"I'm the druid, Lucas. Nature is my weapon." Sebastien said.
"Yeah, literally." He shook his head in disbelief.
They walked their bikes down the driveway, ready to find the gate. Lucas stopped at the end of the driveway, making Sebastien stop, too.
The former looked over to see a HAWKINS Power and Light truck sitting on the side of the road. A man climbed out of the van and sent the kids a wave.
After a moment, they waved back. The man then shut the door of the van and walked around to the back.
Without a second thought, Sebastien and Lucas climbed on their bikes and started down the street.
They were now in the woods, trekking up a small hill with their bikes next to them.
Lucas glanced between the compass he attached to his bike and the distance in front of them. They slowed to a stop in front a fence that traveled all around them. Lucas looked to the left and the right, the fence going as far as they could see.
"Seriously?" Sebastien deflated.
"Come on." Lucas huffed and got his bike to turn to the left.
Sebastien begrudgingly followed after him.
--------------------
After leaving Nancy's house, the group decided they needed to get supplies. So, of course, an army supply store is where they ended up.
Dakota trailed one of the aisles, Nancy and Jonathan both in their own. His eyes lit up at the sight of something he knew he could use in a monster fight. He grabbed it in his hand and walked over to Nancy and Jonathan.
The two were standing at the end of an aisle looking down at something. Bear traps. Nancy glanced back at the boys and they both nodded.
Jonathan set the bear traps on the counter of the check out, Nancy starting to unload the basket she had.
The man behind the counter had a very shocked expression. He stared at them like they grew three heads.
"And I'll have four boxes of the .38s." Jonathan said once Nancy was done.
"Oh, and-" Dakota set down his item on the counter.
Nancy's went wide slightly. "Where did you find that?"
"That aisle over there. Shocked me, too." Dakota smirked.
The man came back with the bullets, setting them down in front of him. "What you kids doin' with all this?"
"Um..." Jonathan paused.
They glanced at each other, thinking of what to say.
Nancy turned back to the man. "Monster hunting."
Dakota shot him a finger gun.
"Huh." The man nodded and started to ring them up.
Walking out of the store, Jonathan holding their box of items, Nancy carrying a bag and their other things. Dakota strapped his weapon to his back, and carried nothing because they didn't trust him after he chose in the store.
""Monster hunting?"" Jonathan mocked as they walked towards his car.
Dakota pulled the trunk open to allow him to set the box inside. "I think it worked great." He shrugged. He grabbed the weapon off his back and tossed it in the back.
Nancy chuckled. "You know, last week I was shopping for a new top I thought Steve might like. It took me and Barb all weekend. It seemed like life or death, you know? And... and now-" She puts her things in the trunk.
"You're shopping for bear traps with Dakota Kumar and Jonathan Byers." Jonathan finished, shutting the trunk.
"Yeah." Nancy nodded.
Dakota leaned his elbows on the trunk and looked at Nancy. "What's the weirdest part? Us or the bear trap?" He gave her a teasing smile.
"You two. It's definitely you two." Nancy answered.
Then a car rode by, honking the horn. "Hey, Nance!"
The three turned to see a car full of kids their age.
"Can't wait to see your movie." The dude in the passenger seat said.
Dakota's eyebrows furrowed. "What the hell does that mean?"
"I don't know." Nancy said, but then she turned around.
"What?" Jonathan asked.
She took a few steps, leaving the boys confused.
"What?" Dakota repeated.
Nancy just stomped off in the direction she was facing.
"Hey! Where are you going?" Jonathan called after her.
Dakota groaned, grabbed Jonathan's wrist and pulled him after Nancy. They followed her down the street, weaving through the people on the sidewalk. The Wheeler girl then started to run.
"Nancy, wait!" Dakota hissed.
The girl ran across the crosswalk, the two boys doing their best to keep up. Dakota put his arm out in front of Jonathan before they walked across the street. When it was clear, he continued to pull him along.
Nancy veered off the crosswalk and stopped in front of the movie theater. She stared up at what was spray painted on the sign.
STARRING NANCY THE SLUT WHEELER
Dakota and Jonathan soon stopped behind her, eyes going wide at the sign.
"Holy hell." Dakota said.
He could see the hurt on Nancy's face as she looked around. People were staring. Dakota scowled at everyone that dared to look in their direction.
Nancy then heard something in the alley next to them. She stormed off, Jonathan taking off after her. Dakota sighed and trailed off soon after.
The girl stopped in front of the alley, staring at the people in it. Steve and his group. Nancy took a breath and started towards them.
"Oh, hey there, princess." Carol greeted with a smirk.
"Uh-oh, she looks upset." Tommy mocked.
Nancy stared up at Steve with a look of disgust. He just stared back at her and no one said anything until Nancy slapped the boy across the face.
"Oh's!" and "Damn's!" rang out from his friends.
"What is wrong with you?" Nancy questioned.
"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you?" Steve countered. "I was worried about you. I can't believe that I was actually worried about you."
Nancy furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"I wouldn't lie if I were you." Carol interjected. "You wouldn't want to be known as the lying slut now, do you?" She finished as Dakota finally walked up, Jonathan right behind him.
"Speak of the devil." Tommy noticed them. "Hi."
Nancy glanced back at the boys, realizing what Steve was on about. "You came by last night?" She looked back at him.
"Ding, ding, ding! Does she get a prize?" Carol teased.
"Look, I don't know what you think you saw, but it wasn't like that." Nancy tells Steve.
"What, you just let them into your room to... study?" Steve raised an eyebrow.
"Or for another pervy photo session?" Tommy added.
Dakota looked over at the boy. "Do you want more bruises?"
Tommy glared at him.
"We were just-" Nancy started.
"You were just what? Finish that sentence." Steve took a step closer. "Finish the sentence."
Dakota clenched his jaw. He didn't like Steve's tone. It was threatening.
Nancy tried to answer, but she couldn't come up with anything. She took a few breaths.
"Go to hell, Nancy." Steve scoffed, turning away.
Jonathan walked up and grabbed Nancy's arm. "Come on, Nancy, let's just leave."
"You know what, Byers? I'm actually kind of impressed." Steve started again, shoving Jonathan. "I always took you for a queer, but I guess you're just a little screw-up like your father." He continued to shove him.
Dakota stepped up and pushed Steve back. "You should stop."
"Yeah, what are you gonna do?" Steve argued. "Go tell your dead dad? Gossip to your fairy cousin?"
Dakota crossed his arms. "You can say whatever shit you want, Harrington, you can't get to me."
Steve took that as a challenge.
"Leave it." Nancy said.
Steve shoved Dakota. "Just gonna go and get into another fight, so who cares if I leave it, huh? Your mom will just give up on you like everyone else has. She won't bail you out again." He laughed. "I saw her picking up some beer earlier. Let's hope she doesn't get in a car and end up like your dad."
Dakota, who had turned around to leave, stopped in his tracks. He looked back at Steve with narrowed eyes. "What?"
"Oh, you didn't know?" Steve taunted. "Guess she's just a screw up like her son."
Dakota chuckled and shook his head. "Good for you, man. You have eyes."
Steve smirked in amusement.
Jonathan grabbed Dakota's shoulder. "It isn't worth it, Koda."
Steve looked between them. "Koda? Guess you're just like your little cousin, man. A family of queers running around. Wonder if he's next, just like his fairy brother." He nodded to Jonathan.
Dakota lied. Steve could get to him if he mentioned his cousin enough. Sebastien meant the world to him and he wasn't gonna let this asshole spread lies about him.
"Yeah? Alright." Dakota shoved Jonathan off of him and swung on Steve.
Steve fell into the ac unit beside them as everyone gasped. He slowly got up and looked at Dakota before running and tackling him. The two fell against his car before Steve threw him on the ground.
Dakota blocked out all the noise around them. He rolled off the side just before Steve could attack again. Steve hit the ground and moved to his back. Dakota got on top of him and was prepared to send another punch, but Steve pushed him off and got to his feet.
Steve turned back at Dakota on the ground and was met by another punch. Dakota pushed himself up as Tommy got in between them. He tried to separate them, but it didn't work.
The Harrington boy went to punch Dakota, but he dodged it and Steve got punched instead. The boy stood up straight, getting Dakota back.
"Dakota, stop! You're gonna hurt him!" Nancy's voice broke through.
But he just blocked it out and punched Steve again. The boy hit the ground, Dakota straddling his stomach. He sent another punch, and another.
"Cops!"
"Dakota!"
"Yo, cops!"
"Koda, stop! The cops!" Jonathan shouted.
Jonathan attempted to pull Dakota off the beaten boy, but he wouldn't let up. Steve's face was covered in blood and was going limp.
Tommy grabbed Dakota. "He's had enough, man!"
Dakota shoved him back and went to hit Steve again, but a cop came up behind him and grabbed him. Defensively, Dakota sent an elbow to whoever it was. He had no idea it was a cop.
The other cop finally got Dakota off Steve as Tommy helped his friend up. The cop pulled Dakota all the way over to the hood of Steve's car and shoved him against it.
Dakota grunted, finally coming back into reality. And his first thought? Damn, my hand hurts.
He vaguely heard Steve and Tommy running away, but he was more focused on the handcuffs going around his wrists.
It's not like it was the first time. Though, getting handcuffed is never pleasant.
"Shit! Okay, I'm cooperating!" Dakota shouted.
Nancy and Jonathan stood off to the side. They wouldn't leave Dakota alone.
--------------------
"I would've fought him, you know?" Jonathan spoke up. He sat beside Dakota in the Police Station as they waited for Nancy to come back with ice. "You didn't have to do that."
"He wouldn't stop talking shit." Dakota rolled his eyes, but soon winced. "I didn't do it just for you. Well, I that sounded wrong. I did it for you, Nancy, Sebastien, my mom, myself. The dude just needs to know when to shut up."
Jonathan chuckled. "By the way... Your mom..."
Dakota sighed. "It's nothing."
"No, it's obviously not. What's going on?" Jonathan asked.
"She's just... She's been off lately. I didn't know she'd pick up drinking." Dakota shrugged. "It's fine. The only problem is keeping it a secret from Bass."
Jonathan blinked. "Why?"
"He's already having a hard time. And my mom is like his mom, too. Her checking-out and drinking would hurt him." Dakota explains. "She'll come back to us. She always does."
"So... She's been like this before?" Jonathan continued.
"Why are you asking? I feel like you have bigger problems than my home life." Dakota adjusted himself in his seat, wincing.
Jonathan huffed. "You're my friend, dumbass. If you worry about me, then I'm going to worry about you."
They were silent for a moment. "Think I'm gonna be here for a while?"
"I'm not gonna lie to you, Koda... Yeah." Jonathan nodded. "Even if it was accidental, you hit an officer. And, well, if they ever find Steve, then they'll see how much damage you did."
Dakota's face scrunched up as best it could with the few bruises he had. "Yeah..."
They both looked up as Nancy walked back towards them. She took the chair on the other side of Dakota.
"Found some ice." She said.
Dakota rested his forearms on the desk in front of him, staring down at the handcuffs. "Yeah, thanks."
Nancy slowly brought the rag up and pressed it against the biggest bruise on his cheek. She looked around awkwardly.
"Is everything alright?" Dakota asked.
She met his eyes. "Yeah. Everything's fine." Nancy smiled a little. "Do you, um, do you think your mom's coming?" She asked, remembering the things Steve said.
Dakota shut his eyes. "Don't really care."
Nancy looked over at Jonathan in confusion. He just shook his slightly, telling her not to bring it up.
--------------------
Lucas and Sebastien walked the side of the gate, the former staring down at the compass on his bike. They turned the corner, but soon stopped after the compass changed.
Sebastien went first, backing up and turning around. Lucas followed. They slowed to a stop and looked through the fence. The compass was pointing towards it.
Lucas nudged his friend and nodded up to a tree.
"No-" Sebastien started.
"Nature's your weapon, right?" Lucas mocked.
Sebastien, begrudgingly, followed Lucas up the tree. He let Lucas get situated in a spot, watching him pull his backpack off.
The Beckett boy went to a different branch beside Lucas. He shrugged his bag off and hooked it on a smaller branch. He looked over to Lucas, seeing the boy looking through a pair of binoculars.
Sebastien rested his elbows on the branch he was on. He the leaned his chin on his hand and looked out onto the building.
"See anything?" Sebastien asked.
Lucas nodded and handed the binoculars over. "Look."
Sebastien grabbed them and brought them up to his eyes. Through the lenses, he saw multiple of the power and light vans he saw earlier. That didn't alarm him, not really. But then a huge military truck drove past, making Sebastien's eyes go wide.
"What the-"
"Weird, right?" Lucas took his binoculars back.
"Definitely."
After a bit, Lucas spoke up again. "Sebastien, look."
Sebastien did, he leaned over and looked through the branches. He couldn't see it as well Lucas could, but he could still see it.
Groups of people jumped in the vans out front. Then one by one, they pulled out.
Lucas looked over at Sebastien and they had matching expressions.
"This can't be good." Sebastien grimaced.
"No, it can't." Lucas sighed.
The Sinclair moved a little, and he almost fell out of the tree.
Sebastien's hand went out as if he could catch him, but he couldn't. Though, something did happen. A bunch of different twigs attached to the branches stretched out, becoming longer. They crossed over each other and went under the two boys becoming a sort of net.
Lucas looked down with wide eyes. "Cool."
Sebastien chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah..."
⊳ ⊲
bre says things;
lucas and sebastien + dakota and jonathan = the best friendships in this fic!!! like i love friendships so so so much
please comment to let me know what you think!!
thanks for reading! i hope you enjoyed!!