˚✧₊⁎Dream Girl⁎⁺˳✧༚ -Robin Buckley

Chapter 5- The Sauna Test

Willow had been unsuccessful with both last night, she was starting to feel like a rotten sister. Nothing she could do seemed as though it would be able to help them, she could sense both of them drifting away from her.

Willow slugged her way back to the ice parlour in search of free ice cream only to be greeted again by Dustin planning a route as to how they would be able to get into the room that required a keycard.

Steve turned to smile at her as she entered the back room, clearing the chair next to him for her to sit on as she smiled towards Robin who was focused on the table.

"There's gotta be a way in." Robin continued, not acknowledging her presence.

"Well, you know... I could just take him out." Steve cockily says stretching out his arms to rest on the back of Willow's chair in a relaxed way as he turns his attention to the charming Hargrove with a smirk.

Robin notices instantly trying to defuse the atmosphere "Take who out?" She says incredulously.

"The Russian guard. What? I sneak up behind him, knock him out, and I take his keycard. It's easy" Steve desperately tries to impress Willow as she tries to hide her giggles.

"Yeah and what about the massive gun part?" Willow leans back asking him as she watches his smug face slowly deflate, Robin nods alongside her.

"That's why I would be sneaking." Steve's tone becomes defensive at the lack of trust his friends have in his abilities, slightly frustrated that his attempt to impress her wasn't working. Steve gives Robin a pointed look asking for help which she only ignores.

"Well, tell us then Steve, have you ever actually... won a fight?" Dustin joins in having known Steve the longest, unintentionally further embarrassing him in front of Willow who is silently smirking behind her hand.

"Okay, that was one time-" Steve awkwardly tries to brush off the time Billy beat him up, while his supposed friend continues to humiliate him in front of her.
"Twice, Jonathan. Year Prior?"
"You lost to Jonathan Byers?" Willow can't help but hide her smile now as Steve tries to defend himself. Willow laughs as the boys argue acting like children until she notices the lack of usual noise from Robin.

The girl has turned her focus instead to the vent as she mutters something intelligible before making her way out of the room grabbing the tip money on the way out.

"Hey, Robin! What are you doing?" Steve yells after her.

"I'm going to find us a way into that room, a safe way. Willow keeps an eye on these two idiots while I'm gone. I'll be back in a jiff." Robin salutes the group as she makes a hasty getaway, leaving behind an annoyed Willow as she glances towards the other two boys.

The group remains in the parlour until the screeches of familiar converse hit the floor, bringing their attention back to the doorway to watch the slightly out-of-breath Robin back from her trip, Willow lets out a sigh of relief.

"It is fascinating what twenty bucks will get you at the County Recorder's Office. Star court Mall, the complete blueprints." Robin explains smoothing out the large piece of paper onto the table.

"Not bad..." Willow nods her head in approval towards the girl avoiding eye contact with her, slightly disappointed that Robin can't seem to look at her.

"We can only get through to that room through the air ducts. Turns out, this secret room needs air just like any old room and these." Robin draws a line towards the room, circling their end goal. "lead the way."

Robin gets up to check the parlour's air ducts as the others join her. Steve opens the grate to shove Dustin in since he has some sort of condition Willow can't remember the name of.

The girls watch Steve try to push Dustin in while simultaneously trying to avoid his butt. Willow can't help but laugh at the scene, glancing towards Robin who is already looking at her. She instantly turns around pretending to check the counter once caught her eyes instead falling on Erica Sinclair.

Willow follows Robin's eyes, curious as to what took her attention away. Surprise fills her senses when she spots the young Sinclair, already guessing the plan forming in Robin's head.

"Are you sure? Erica is not so easily persuaded, I had to babysit her while Lucas and Max went on their dates." Willow shudders at the memory, both girls looking towards the impatient child.

"I don't think we have a choice, but it will take a lot to buy her over." Robin sighs turning back to glance at Steve still trying to push Dustin through.

Several Ice creams later, Erica has finally come around to the idea but mostly due to Willow's suggestion of free ice cream for life, the same deal that had been struck with her.

Steve, Dustin, Robin and Willow were once more peering over the dark ledge of the roof as Erica geared up to fit through the air duct.

"You nerds in position or what?" Erica's voice rang through the walkie-talkie as the group remained on guard.

"Yeah, we're in position. It's all quiet here, so you've got the green light." Robin replies.

"Roger that. Comment Operation Child Endangerment." Erica fires back making Willow chuckle as the others protest against the name.

After a while of grunts coming from Erica it seemed as though she had finally made it to the room. "All right nerds, I'm there. All I see is those boring boxes you're excited about, No guards nothing."

"Booby Traps?" Willow leans over to ask as Robin holds the microphone close to her. "They'd be pretty shit traps if I could see them." Willow shrugs in agreement nodding her head.

The sound of clanging metal is heard until Erica proudly states that she has made it in, opening the door so that she is visible to the group of teenagers looking down at her from the roof. "Free ice cream for life." She sassily remarks.

Willow lets out a squeal of excitement that they have finally managed to get in. Steve stands up first reaching a hand down to help up the girl as she grins up at him with doe eyes, temporarily stopping his heart as she accepts his offer.

Robin tightly shuts her eyes after viewing their display, harshly pushing herself off of the floor and trudging over to the door as Willow mutters a quick "thank you" to Steve as she jogs away from him to catch up with Robin.

Once they make it into the room, Willow starts curiously pacing around as the others gather around a smoking box, ready to further investigate. She goes to rejoin the circle only to be stopped by Steve's hand pushing her away for her safety onto Robin.

Willow smiles up at her before the walls behind them grab her attention. The peculiar holes hold concrete behind them, she brushes it off as another one of Star Court's interesting design choices as she brings her attention back to an arguing Dustin and Steve.

"No! If you die, I die." Dustin defends causing Steve to give up as he continues to open the mysterious container in front of them.

A bubbling Green liquid reveals itself contained in a scientific test tube as the group gathers around it curiously. They are interrupted by the room shaking as Robin grabs onto the nearest person she can find which so happens to be Willow.

Willow glances towards the already unstable girl as the room shakes again. Sensing her discomfort she announces,
"Let's just grab that and go, we've already been here long enough."

Willow returns her eyes to Robin who is still clutching onto her jacket, but her attention is once more stolen by the holes in the strange room as the concrete starts to move.

"Shit, this is an elevator!" She quickly figures out looking at the others with panic as Dustin continues to slam buttons.

Lights begin flashing past them as they make their quick descent into the unknown, Willow now turning to also grab Robin as the Elevator seems to never stop.