Strange Effect || Robin Buckley ✓

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Isabella doesn't know how long they've spent walking but it's been long enough that her legs have started to burn from the amount of movement, Isabella groaned and grabbed Robin's shoulder to steady her as she adjusted her socks that were sliding down. "Are you okay?" Robin asked lowly so only Isabella can hear her. "Define okay." Isabella deadpans, she doesn't know how she got wrapped up in this mess, she only said yes to help decode the message not to go on this Indiana Jones-esque adventure. "This is impressive." Isabella glares at Dustin who was starring at the tunnel in awe.

Steve scoffed. "What are you talking about? It's a total fire hazard. There's no stairs, no exit, there's just an elevator." Isabella nods in agreement. "And it drops you halfway to hell." Isabella smiles but it was more like a grimace. "They're commies. You don't pay people, they cut corners." Erica states the obvious which makes Isabella roll her eyes, normally she would try to be nicer to a child, like Erica but Isabella can't be bothered right now.

"To be fair to our Russian comrades, I don't think this tunnel was designed for walking. I mean think about it, they developed the perfect system for transporting that cargo." Robin knocks her shoulder against Isabella who looks down and cracks a smile. "It all comes into the mall like any old delivery," Dustin adds, Robin nods. "And then they load it up onto those trucks and nobodies the wiser." Isabella groans out, she huffs and digs around in her pocket until she pulls out a hair tie, she silently cheers and gathers her hair into a ponytail, and puts her hair out of her face so she can see. When her hands drop she catches Robin staring at her with a soft look on her face, Isabella looks away and chuckles slightly.

"You think they built this whole mall just so they could transport that green poison?" Isabella wrinkles her nose up at Steve's comment before looking at Robin who shrugs. "I very seriously doubt it's something as boring as poison," Dustin says making Isabella nod in agreement, you wouldn't go through this much trouble for poison. "It's gotta be much more valuable, like promethium or something." Isabella's eyes widen and she laughs but when Robin stares at her she muffles her laughter with her hand.

"What the hell is promethium?" Steve asks Dustin after giving Isabella a look. Before Isabella could explain what it is Robin answers for her. "It's what Victor Stone's Dad used to make Cyborg's bionic and cybernetic components." Isabella was about to comment on how cool it was that Robin knew that but Erica injected. "You're all so nerdy, it makes me physically ill." Steve put his hands up. "Oh no no, don't lump me in with them. I'm not a nerd, all right?" Isabella clicks her tongue and stares at Steve, all those times with Micah reading marvel comics would beg to differ but Isabella would never say that and ruin Steve's secret.

"Why so sensitive, Harrington?" Isabella smirks and knocks her shoulder against Robin before adding more fuel to the fire. "Afraid of losing cool points to a ten-year-old child?" Robin raises her hand and high-fives Isabella making her smile. "No." Steve scoffs. "I'm just saying I don't know jack shit about Prometheus."

"Promethium." Dustin and Isabella correct Steve at the same time. "Prometheus is a Greek Mythological figure, but whatever." Isabella clarifies for Steve who rolls his eyes. "All I'm saying is, it's probably being used to make something." Dustin looks at Isabella who nods in agreement. "Or power something." Dustin looks at Isabella with confusion in his eyes. "Like a nuclear weapon?" Dustin's eyes widen when Isabella nods.

"Walking towards a nuclear weapon, that's great. That'd be great." Steve rubs his head in exhaustion. "But if they're building something, why here?" Robin asks, she looks at Isabella who understands the point that Robin is trying to make. "I know what you mean, why Hawkins of all places. No offense but we're at best a toilet stop on your way to Disneyland, but maybe that's it. Maybe it's our very-" Isabella cuts off when she realizes that Steve and Dustin stopped following them. "I'm sorry, is there something you'd like to share with the class?" Robin raises her eyebrow and looks at the two of them.

Before any of them could say anything they start getting something from the walkie-talkie, Steve and Dustin looked at each other before motioning for Erica to open her bag and get the walkie-talkie. Erica hands it to Robin who motions for Isabella to lean in closer which she does. "It's the code," Isabella says after Robin and her talk to each other silently and agree on what they were hearing.

"Wherever that broadcast is coming from-" Dustin is interrupted by Robin. "It's close and if there's one thing we know about that signal." Dustin's eyes light up when he understands what Robin is getting at. "It can reach the surface." Robin looks at Isabella and smirks before getting into a standing position, she pulls on Isabella's arm to help her get up. "Let's go."

Isabella loses track of time before she starts to hear signs of workers. "We got company." She turns behind her to the group, Steve holds his hand out and moves past Isabella so he can lead them through the tunnels without getting caught. "Okay, clear." Steve gestures for the group to follow which they do, Isabella winces when her shoes squeak a little bit but it looks like the noises of the forklifts are covering the sounds. "That was too close," Dustin comments when they start to go down another hallway.

"Relax, nobody saw-" Steve cuts himself off when he sees the open room. "Shit." Isabella ducks behind the box and the rest of the group follows quickly. "I saw it," Erica says ducking down further. "Saw what?" Isabella looks at Erica with a raised eyebrow telling her to go on. "I saw the comms room, the door was open for a second and I saw a bunch of lights and machines and shit in there. First floor, northwest."

After a few seconds of debating Steve nods. "We're gonna move fast and stay low, alright?" Steve waits for them all to answer back before he starts to walk out from behind the crate in a crouched position. Isabella's heart beats as they get closer to the door undetected, Isabella thinks they're out of luck when she can see the keycard lock all the way from here but luckily someone walks out so Steve motions for them to quickly walk towards the room. Isabella turns around and freezes when she sees someone at the comms desk, he reaches for his gun but Isabella puts a hand out to stop him.

But before Isabella could do anything Steve screams and rams into him, he pushes Steve off of him but Steve grabs a phone and hits it across his head. "Dude! You just won a fight!" Dustin chuckles before walking towards the guy and grabbing something off of him. "What are you doing?" Isabella asks putting a hand on her chest to try and calm her racing heart. "Getting us our ticket out of here."

Before Erica could say anything Robin came back down from the stairs. "Guys, there's something up there." Robin motions for them to follow her, Isabella didn't know where Robin was leading them but she never expected to see a weapon being shot at some kind of thing that looks to Isabella to be moving.