"The way he looks at her. Like she's the most important thing in the world to him." "I think she is."
Experiment X - that's was she was known as. A dangerous weapon that belonged to a lab in the Soviet Union. An assassin. A spy.
A seventeen year old...
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- INCINERATE -
STEVE GROANED AS his feet hit the floor in the tunnels. It smelled like shit. Irina was last down and Steve steadied her as she landed by placing an arm on her waist.
"You alright?" He asked.
"Yes. This place stinks. Even with the masks." She muttered.
"I'm pretty sure it's this way!" Mike interrupted them, shining his forth onto the map he'd drawn. Accuracy at its finest.
"You're pretty sure or you're sure?" Dustin questioned.
"I'm 100% sure. Just follow me and you'll know." Mike responded.
"Well that's reassuring." Irina murmured.
"Woah, hey, hey, hey, I don't think so." Steve stopped Mike from going any further. "Any of you little shits die down here I'm getting the blame. Got it, dipshit?" Steve said, snatching the map from Mike and ushering everyone along.
"What even is this place?" Max asked as they ventured through the twists and turns of the tunnels.
"It looks like the mind flayer found a way to navigate all around Hawkins." Irina thought out loud.
"Hey. I think we found that hub, Mike." Steve said as they came to an opening with lots of tunnels leading out of it in different directions.
"Боже мой (oh my god)..." Irina mumbled.
"Let's drench it." Mike said and everyone began pouring the large cans of gasoline all over the hub.
Once the place was completely soaked in the substance, everyone gathered in one of the exit tunnels and Steve got out the lighter.
"Light it up." Dustin urged and Steve flicked open the lighter.
"I am in such deep shit." He whispered before tossing it in the hub. The whole thing aggressively set alight. It looked like there were tentacles in the fire that were burning to death. Steve and Irina frantically ushered the kids to run first before following behind them at a very fast pace.
"This way, this way!" Steve ordered, following the map to the exit. Irina wasn't far behind until she felt something slimy wrap tightly around her leg, pulling her to the ground, making her drop her torch.
"Shit, Steve!" Max, who was closest to Irina, called out and grabbed Irina's arms in an attempt to pull her away from the tentacle. Irina kicked her leg to try and pry herself free but the tentacle had a firm hold on her. Everyone stopped and ran back to try and help Max pull her away until Steve grabbed his bat.
"Get back!" He shouted before slamming the bat down on the tentacle at least four times before it finally broke off Irina. He grabbed her arms, pulling her to her feet before they all set off running again.
"Are you alright?!" He asked as they rounded a corner.
"Yes, I just... that thing was disgusting." She shivered at the feeling of it wrapped around her ankle. It was like some sort of octopus.
Suddenly, the kids came to a halt in front of them, having seen a demodog blocking their path. It was a very familiar demodog with a yellow pattern on its back.
"Holy shit." Lucas muttered.
"Dart." Dustin said and took a few steps forwards. Everyone hissed at him to not go any closer but he didn't listen.
"Trust me." He said, pulling off his mask and goggles before pulling out a bar of nougat and placing it on the ground of him. "Hey, buddy. Look, I got our favourite. Nougat. There's plenty more where that came from." He made a gesture with his hands for everyone to pass while Dart was distracted. Steve took ahold of Irina's arm, helping her along. Now he was conscious about something else grabbing her, so he was glued to her side.
The rope to where they had come down the hole was in view when a deafening rumble and the howls of demodogs echoed throughout the tunnels.
"What was that?" Max asked, worriedly.
"They're coming." Irina said, lowly.
"Run!" Mike shouted as the sound got louder and louder. Everyone sprinted towards the rope and Max was first to go up, then Lucas, then Mike and Dustin also managed to make it up before the sound of the demodogs rounded the corner.
"Maybe you were right about us dying down here." Irina commented as Steve got out his bat and Irina pulled her gun out of the back of her jeans.
"Well I thought we were gonna make it until now." Steve replied. The demodogs hurtled towards them and Irina squeezed her eyes shut, feeling Steve pull her tightly into his chest by her waist. She waited for the impact but it never came. She slowly opened her eyes to see that the demodogs were running right past her and Steve. It's like they hadn't even seen them. Almost as if they were being called somewhere.
"What the..." She whispered and Steve held her a little tighter. "Steve," she started. Steve could feel her trembling a little under his touch. Of course she was. These things had killed the person closest to her.
"I've got you." He whispered and felt her press her head against his chest.
"Eleven." Mike muttered from above them. Eleven had done it. She'd closed the gate. It was over now.
***
Dustin, Lucas, Max and Mike helped Irina and Steve out of the hole once the demodogs passed. Steve pulled Irina into a tight embrace to which she burried her head in his chest and let him hold her. The lights on the car illuminated abnormally bright, signifying that Eleven was succeeding.
"Irina?" She pulled away from Steve for a moment to see Dustin stood besides her with his arms open. She smiled and hugged him too. She felt another pair of arms wrap around her only to see Max had joined them. Lucas soon did too, followed by Mike. Irina may have let a tear or two fall. She lost Svetlana, but she gained a new family. A new home. People she never thought existed had come into her life and given her what she never thought she could have - a place where she felt like she belonged.
