Seven finished what she was doing and watched as Max continued to start flipping pieces of metal over to the bus. They needed to fix it so that later it would not hurt anyone when the demogorgons came. Though, they knew that it was highly likely for someone to get hurt when going against a force such as these creatures.
Steve walked over to get the other teenagers to help. Dustin and Lucas hiding behind a car supposedly talking and arguing. Andrea didn't really talk to anyone for the remainder of the time that she spent while placing things against the walls of the bus.
Everyone began moving ladders and sealing the areas that needed to be sealed. Steve walked around putting gasoline all over the dead grass. Nearly tripping over a latter which Andrea was quick to move. The last thing they needed was someone getting hurt before the battle had even started.
"Are we sure we can trust them?" Lucas would ask Dustin almost periodically.
"Hey, dingus! It doesn't go like that," occasionally Steve would yell at one of the other teenagers.
Max had gotten in the habit of flipping anyone off that really tried to talk to her. She was quite the character. She was distant but Andrea couldn't blame her. A lot of people were like that.
"Andrea, how is she involved in this and why is she here?" Andrea couldn't help that she heard her name slip from Lucas' lips.
"She was with Steve the other night when some things happened. She's a lot more involved than you know," She could hear Dustin and feel his gaze while she climbed on top of the bus to screw one of the panels on.
"How do we know that we can trust her?" Lucas once again asked.
"Because, she's someone that we can trust," was Dustin's simple answer.
Part of Andrea felt as if Dustin was onto her. As if he had a little clue about who and what she was. She knew Dustin was smart and she knew Dustin had also been with Mike when finding and helping keep Eleven safe.
But so had Lucas, and yet, he seemed just as clueless as the other people that Andrea had met amidst her escape from the lab.
"I hope you're right," and with that, Lucas ended the conversation.
By the time that the sun had begun to set, everyone got inside of the bus which had been altered to protect them. Hopefully from the creatures that seemingly existed within their world. The creatures that had somehow managed to come to exist in a place like Hawkins, Indiana.
Though, as Seven had thought before, she could not be surprised. After all, Hawkins was home to a lab that had experimented on kids throughout the years of its existence and what did the government do? Let it happen.
The darkness settled in over the bus. A loud thud caused her to jump. The girl was sitting on the ground.
She felt panic rise within her. She had hated the dark ever since she had gone to the lab. When they had broken her for everything she had. When they would put her into the dark rooms sealed shut.
Did I really get out? What if it's all just a dream... what if I'm still there... She was shaking. She hadn't realized she was. Her breaths were uneven and she was scared. The door could open any minute and she'd be forced to do things she'd never in her life imagined doing.
"You okay?" Dustin's voice caught Andrea's ears, causing her to jump, "Andrea?"
She couldn't speak. It was as if her throat was closed up. She wasn't supposed to speak. She was supposed to be quiet. That's what Brenner wanted.
"Andrea, it's okay," Dustin's voice was trying to soothe her.
Was it? Was it truly okay? She didn't think that it could ever be okay. She wasn't a person. She was an experiment. An experiment that the government would kill for.
"Steve, Andrea's having a panic attack," Dustin declared to the Harrington boy before looking at Andrea, "Hold your breath. It'll help. Most panic attacks are indused by the fact that someone can feel their heart racing and the loss of control causes them to freak out."
"Henderson, facts won't help," Steve was now beside Andrea or so he thought, "Hey, Andrea, you are safe. You're with me."
Andrea felt as Steve bent down, his knee touched hers, "Is now a bad time to say I'm scared of the dark?" Her voice was wavering.
Steve let out a small laugh trying to give some sort of comfort, "Breath evenly, it's alright."
"Did you know that kissing someone while having a panic attack makes them hold their breath and helps-" Dustin was cut off by a gasp by Andrea.
The girl was holding her breath despite the panic running through her veins, her face was red but no one could tell due to the darkness, "I think not..." Her voice was strained before she started coughing.
Steve raised an eyebrow at her reaction while cutting on his flashlight to help keep her calm after learning of her fear of the dark. Everyone in the room looked a bit annoyed.
"She's sixteen and she's scared of the dark?" Lucas found himself asking before Max slapped him over the head.
"Everyone's different," was Steve's harsh response to the teen in a scolding manner.
Seven felt bad for reacting how she did. For getting all worked up and fearing that everything wasn't real. She was just relieved that she hadn't said anything.
But she felt bad seeing the frown on Steve's face.
Lucas crawled out of the top of the bus to check around for the demogorgons after that. Though, he hadn't seen anything from what everyone could tell. He had been peering out of the top of the bus for a few minutes which caused a lot of anticipation within the group.
Steve was sitting side by side with Andrea. One hand was on her knee to try and help keep her calm while his other hand was flipping around a lighter. A flashlight was set up on the side to help keep the room from being too dark.
"So, you've really fought one of these things before?" Max asked Steve in surprise.
Seven's face was as red as Max's hair. Her heart rate was still slightly sped up but it wasn't as bad as when she had been freaking out because of the dark. Freaking out like a little child.
Steve looked over at Max and nodded in response to her question.
"And you're, like, totally one-hundred percent sure it wasn't a bear?" Max added another question to the bunch that she threw at Steve.
"Shit, don't be an idiot. Okay? It wasn't a bear," Dustin joined the conversation, he couldn't get it into his head that Max had yet to believe, "Why are you even here if you don't believe us? Just go home."
His words shocked Andrea, she had never heard him speak like that before and it seemed that Max was just as shocked. Her face moved over into the darkness while her arms were crossed across her chest tightly.
"Geesh, someone's cranky. Past your bedtime?" Max retorted as she got up and walked over to the ladder.
She climbed up the ladder and Dustin looked up after her before he walked over and stood by Steve. She figured he was following Steve's stupid advice.
"That's good. Just show her you don't care," Steve looked over at the boy with a small grin as Dustin paced around.
Dustin moved between the shadows and the light of the room before he responded, "I don't."
Seven let out a small huff of disapproval at the boys before looking at Steve weirdly as he winked at Dustin, "Are you okay?"
"Why are you winking, Steve? Stop," It seems that Dustin was also not amused by this.
Steve stopped and continued to flip around his lighter. Keeping his hand on Andrea's knee while her head leaned back against the bus.
"What has you so scared of the dark?" Steve then asked as he squeezed Andrea's knee which caused her to push his hand off of her, "Sorry."
"Nothing," was Seven's simple response, "Why do you care?"
"I don't," was Steve's simple response.
She scoffed, "This isn't a game, Harrington."
She knew it was either he truly did not care or this was his way of trying to show feelings. Andrea did not care. She was not in the mood for this and she was too scared. Steve couldn't be with her because of who and what she was. Besides, why would his stupid dating advice work with her?
A loud growl caught everyone's attention. Steve, Dustin, and Andrea all shot up going to look out of the window of the bus. It was time. Something was coming, something that at the moment they couldn't see.
"You see something?" Dustin asked, hoping that they did.
"No," Steve responded.
"All I see is fog," was Andrea's simple response.
Dustin pushed back from the two, "Lucas, what's going on?" He yelled up the hatch.
"Hold on!" Lucas yelled back down at the group.
Everyone continued to look around their surroundings. Trying to see what they were missing hoping to find something before it jumped out of them through the darkness.
Another loud growl came and Andrea saw something move, "Look!"
"I've got eyes! Ten o'clock!" Lucas yelled from the top of the bus, "Ten O'clock!" He stuttered out.
"There," Steve pushed his finger through the metal as he pointed.
"What's he doing?" Dustin asked curiously.
"We don't know," Andrea answered that question with a weird look.
The trio fell into a moment of silence. Watching the creature from their positions trying to gather information on what it was doing. Trying to be somewhat prepared for whatever it threw in their direction.
"He's not taking the bait, why is he not taking the bait?" Steve repeated the question as he briefly looked over at his two companions.
"Maybe he's not hungry," Dustin tried to act as if that could be the truth.
"Maybe he's sick of cow," Steve responded as he continued to peer out.
Steve moved back from the window while Andrea's head turned in his direction. Dustin followed her gaze as well and the two continued to look at Steve. The teen stayed still for a moment before moving to go out the door.
"Steve?" Andrea questioned, she sounded worried and she was.
"Steve? Steve? What are you doing?" Dustin followed after Steve as he talked.
Steve held up his lighter and looked at the two, "Just get ready."
He threw the lighter at Dustin before exiting the bus. Andrea let out a protest and ran to get to the door as well but Steve shut it on her. He slowly continued to walk further and further from the bus.
Loud growls and noises were heard. The weird sounds paired with Steve's whistling only put the girl more on edge. If they came at him, he was toast.
"What is he doing?" Max exclaimed as she dropped into the bus alongside Lucas.
"Expanding the menu," Dustin looked between the two and the worried Andrea.
"Like hell, he is," Andrea shot, not at all liking the sound of that,
"Come on, buddy," She could barely hear Steve's voice over the growling, "Come on. Dinner time."
"He's crazy," Andrea shot angrily, mad at Steve for putting himself in this position.
"Human taste better than cat, I promise," Steve tried yet again.
"He's insane," Max responded as she peered out one of the windows.
"He's awesome," Dustin said in awe of his mentor.
Andrea peered through the window beside the door. Watching as Steve shifted his bat around in his hands. The nails gleamed in the darkness. The moon illuminates the area and the fog.
The growling continued. The anticipation of the moment built up as the creatures became more visible through the fog. Steve was surrounded from all areas.
"Steve, watch out!" Lucas yelled through the top of the bus.
"I'm a little busy here!" Steve yelled back, not daring to take his eyes off of the monsters.
"Three o'clock!" Lucas yelled as his stutter got worse, "Three o'clock!"
That was it, Andrea slipped out the door and ran down beside Steve.
"Steve, Andrea!" Dustin went to run after her but stayed in the bus, "Abort! Abort!"
One growled at Steve and ran straight for him. He tried to hit it and it threw him. Andrea didn't want to use her abilities. She hated using them but she needed to, even if it would drain her due to the stress she was under.
"Steve!" The kids were yelling, "Andrea!"
"Steve, run!"
"RUN!"
She watched as one made a run for Steve and she lifted her hand, focusing on it before harshly throwing it into one of the cars. Her hand fell back to her side before she made a run for it after Steve.
"HOLY SHIT!"
Blood dripped down Andrea's nose as she pushed everyone further into the bus.
"You... what the hell!" Max was freaking out.
The door continued to be banged by the monsters and Andrea watched as Steve put something on it before huddling with the kids.
"I've got it," Andrea focused and held out her hand, keeping the door on the bus and keeping them from entering.
"Are they rabid or something?!" Max yelled.
"I CAN'T!" Dustin yelled.
The monsters continued to screech and growl while Andrea used her abilities as best as she could to keep them out. One broke through one of the barriers and Steve bashed it down.
"Is anyone there?! Mike?! Will?! ANYONE?!" Dustin yelled.
Another one popped through and Andrea stood and kept focusing on the door but threw the other one out yet again, "Guys!"
"SHIT!" Everyone was freaking out.
"We're at the old junkyard, and we are going to die!" Dustin repeated through his machine, "Andrea's keeping them out and so is Steve send help!"
They stopped coming and Andrea felt the blood pour from her nose. She was so tired she couldn't keep herself standing so she ended up falling down. Her body hit the ground as she panted.
A loud crash of bangs came from the roof. A large growl acme from the open hatch and a scream echoed from Max's lips.
"Out of the way!" Steve pushed Max from the hazard, "Out of the way! You want some? Come get this!" Steve shoved the bat upwards before something stopped the creature.
They began leaving on their own giving the bus a hard shake. Andrea looked around as she forced her eyes to stay open, whatever the cause of this was it was their lucky day.
"You've got a lot to explain," Steve spoke as he looked at Andrea who was helped up by Dustin, the boy trying to keep her stable but inevitably transferring her to Steve's grip.
They slowly began to exit the bus trying to figure out what had just happened. Steve's arm was firm around Seven's waist as he supported her body weight.
"Jeez."
Growls were still heard but Lucas asked, "What happened?"
"Steve scared 'em off?" Max and Dustin were trying to figure it out.
"No," Steve shook his head.
"It was something else," Andrea mumbled out.
"No way, they're going somewhere," Steve declared as he looked at everyone.
Something had called these creatures off. There was a plan for what they were about to do. God knows what.
"So is anyone else not going to damn question that she has superpowers?" Max broke the silence as she looked at Andrea.
"She's like El," Lucas stated as he looked over at Dustin, "You knew, didn't you?"
"So did Mike, but she actually told Mike," was Dustin's simple response.
"I didn't want anyone to know," Her words were slightly slurred due to how tired she was, "I didn't want you all to know. I couldn't put you in danger."
"We've already been signed up for this," Dustin gave her a grin despite the situation, "So are your powers like hers?"
Seven simply nodded, "But a little different because I can vary into mental manipulation."
"Like of feelings?" Max found herself asking.
"No, perceptions and what you see," Seven tried to stand herself upright but Steve didn't let go and she inevitably slid back into him.
"So, do you really look like that?" Lucas asked, and the question was a bit rude.
"Yes," She deadpanned.
"What was your number?" Dustin asked curiously, "If that doesn't make you upset."
"Seven," was her response, "I am Seven."
"So like, that's your name?" Max asked, "That's kinda cool."
Cool? The name was a curse. It marked her as an object. She was forever branded for everyone to know that she is government property. She would forever hate the name because it reminded her of what she was and where she had come from. She had come from a lab.
Andrea looked at the ground, letting the silence fall over the group. She did not want to say anything because she knew that there were mixed emotions in the air. She could tell Steve was not happy, and neither was Lucas. Max was curious as well as Dustin but they knew better than to ask any questions.
Questions that would probably cause a bunch of arguments in this group. Andrea knew from the beginning that Lucas was not a fan of her but she was now sure that neither was Steve and that was where she drew the line. She could not handle having him mad at her.
"Cool? It's the thing that brands me for what I am and ciphers me from what I am not. I'm an experiment, not a person," Andrea managed to get away from Steve and she noticed the look on his face, "It's all fun and games till they do to you what they did to me."
She couldn't help but sound annoyed, she was probably losing everything in that moment.
"You are a person," Steve tried to catch her hand, "You feel just as everyone else does."
"I was raised being under experiments. Having to use my abilities to do things. I had to do things to... if I'm a person then why did it happen to me?" Andrea pulled herself back from Steve.
"Because the world is cruel," Steve responded as he looked at her longingly, don't be silly Seven.
"They're going to date," Dustin declared to Max and Luas thinking he wasn't that loud when he really was.
I wish.