(2) Love You to Hell and Back (Max Mayfield / (Fem) You)

-Chapter 19: The Battle Of Starcourt-

Hands interlocked, eyes wide and watching the mirror. I can only watch as the tentacle inches closer and closer, heart pounding in my eyes, breathing getting shallow.

It passes the edge. It's right above my shoulder...but it did not turn yet. It's staring straight ahead. It's only a matter of time until it turns...and when it does, we're dead. My best friends and girlfriend will be dead. I will be dead.

POP

I pop rings from outside the store, causing the tentacle to quickly retract at the noise, going back to its body as the Flayer turns toward the sound. "Holy shit." I whisper, watching as it goes. Once away, I look at the others who are sitting there, wide eyed and panting. "Holy shit." Max copies, looking at me before a small smile makes its way onto her face.

"Come on!" I say, pulling Max to her feet and helping El up. Mike and I help El as Max opens the backroom door of the gap for us. We walk through, hearing the roars and screeches of the Flayer further behind us before we go towards the service hallway of the mall. Our ticket out of here.

We make our way down the hallway, slowly but surely. I do, however, notice that the roaring has stopped. "Where'd it go?" Max asks, looking at me as we stop in the hallway. "I-I don't know." I mutter before looking down the hallway. I have an idea. I tell them to stay where they are before rushing down the hallway towards the security room. Ya know, where they keep stuff. I crash into the room, eyes darting around before it lands on what I want. A radio.

I grab the handheld one before running back. "Guys!" I shout. They look at me, confused at first until they see the radio. "Do you remember the frequency we were on?" I ask. Max and Mike shake their heads, causing me to groan. "We should have paid more attention." I mutter before El speaks up. "14.158" El says. "What?" I ask. "The frequency. I heard Dustin say it." She mutters. I quickly change the dial to the frequency before grinning when voices fill the silent air.

"Okay, so, listen. Do you know Planck's constant?" Dustin asks. "Planck's constant?" I mutter to myself. Then, another voice crackles in, an unfamiliar one. "Do you know the earth orbits the sun?" She mutters. "Okay, so, I know it starts with two sixes, then a...what is it?" Dustin asks. "Okay, let me just be clear on this, I haven't heard from you in a week, and now you want a mathematical equation that you should know so you can...save the world?" That's when it hits me.

"Suzie." I mutter. Suzie-poo, I promise, I will make it up to you as soon as possible." Dustin's voice cracks in. "You can make it up to me now." "What?"

"I want to hear it." Suzie says. "Not right now.." Dustin's voice comes through, nervous. "Yes, now, Dusty-bun." She says, clearly upset. "Suzie-poo, this is urgent." "Yes, yes, you're saving the world, I heard you the first time. But Ged is also saving Earthsea and he's about to confront the shadow, so this is Suzie, signing off." She says before Dustin cuts in. "Wait, wait, wait! Okay!" There is a moment of silence as Mike, Max, El and I look at each other, confused.

Until he starts singing. "Turn around. Look at what you see..." Holy shit. Dustin's singing to his girlfriend. "In her face...the mirror of your dreams" The song goes on, with Suzie joining in after a bit and we can't keep the smile off our faces. "Okay, I think they win as a cute couple." Max says. "They win as a cute long distance couple." I correct her with a grin. We listen to the singing as we help El back up, walking towards the exit of the service hallway. "Gosh I miss you, Dusty-bun."

"No, I miss you more, Suzie-poo"

"Miss you more, multiplied by all the stars in our galaxy"