𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞 | 𝐬.𝐡

035. On the Tracks

THE GROUP MADE THEIR WAY DOWN THE TRAIN TRACKS LOOKING FOR DART, unsure of what else to do. Mavis and Steve walked a little further ahead of the kids.

"I can't believe you offered yourself up as bait," Mavis said. She couldn't tell if she was more impressed or stressed out by his bravery.

"I can't believe you practically jumped off a bus to save my ass," Steve said putting his hand up.

"Yeah I guess I kinda like you alive," she said nudging Steve. In all honesty, she was terrified when she saw him being surrounded. She was not ready to lose another one of her friends.

"Oh, how sweet of you," he joked, putting a hand up to his heart and looking over to her.

His eyes stayed on her face, taking note of the cut that now resided on her cheek. "That bus got you good, huh?" he asked.

"What?"

"Your face," he said.

"Haha real funny, I happen to think my face looks just fine," she said rolling her eyes.

"No- that's not what I meant," he quickly huffed.

Still confused, she sent him an odd look, "well that's what it sounded like," she chuckled.

"Well that's not what I meant- your face looks fine, it looks good, you have a pretty face, okay?" he blurted out nervously, quickly becoming flustered.

"Steve it's fine, I believe you, okay?" she chuckled putting a hand up, stunned by his flustered reaction.

Not so far behind them, things were not so cheery.

"Dart ate a cat?" Lucas asked loudly.

"No, what? No," Dustin said.

Steve heard this, he turned back, "What are you talking about? He ate Mews."

"Steve!" Dustin yelled.

"I knew it! You kept him!" Lucas yelled. He was now bubbling over with anger.

After a few moments of trying to win Dustin gave in, "he missed me. He wanted to come home."

"Bullshit!" Lucas yelled back.

"I didn't know he was a Demogorgon, okay?" Dustin said trying to defend himself.

This just riled Lucas up more, "Oh, so now you admit it?"

"Guys, who cares? We have to go," Max cut in.

"I care! You put the party in jeopardy! You broke the rule of law!" Lucas yelled, turning to Dustin.

"So did you! You told a stranger the truth!" Dustin yelled back.

Having enough of this, Mavis stepped between the two. "Stop! Both of you now!"

"You guys both broke rules that put the party in jeopardy. It doesn't matter who broke a harsher rule, the point is you both broke a rule. I should have you both kicked out or whatever from this party, but I'm not! So listen to me when I say this, It's over with, do you guys understand?" She looked at both of them waiting for a response, "I said, do you understand?"

"Yes," they both huffed in unison.

They continued to walk again, Lucas turned to Dustin, "the Rogue."

They came to a halt suddenly when they heard a screech come from in the forest. All of them looked at each other before heading in. Everyone except Max. "No, no, no. Hey, guys, why are you headed towards the sound?" Max asked before running after them.

The group had reached a ledge, they could still hear distant screeches from the monsters far away. Lucas put up his binoculars, trying to track the source of the sound. He looked around until his focus stayed on the Hawkins Lab. "It's the lab." The group all looked at each other.

"They were going home," Mavis said turning away.

They found themselves in the forest beside Hawkins Lab. As they got closer to the edge of the forest Mavis gathered all of the kids behind her and Steve. They weren't sure what had been going on at the lab, but they knew it wasn't good. Steve reached for Mavis's hand, desperate to find some comfort from the nervousness that was eating him up inside. Feeling Steve's hand reaching for her, she grabbed on. Both of their grips tight.

As emerged from the forest, a voice called out "Hello? Who's there? Who's there?"

Both of them let go of their grip, "that sounds like Jonathan," she whispered to Steve. "I know," he whispered back.

As they got closer the voice recognized Mavis.

"Mavis?" both Nancy and Jonathan called out. Then they recognized Steve, "Steve?"

"Nancy and Jonathan?" she yelled back confused.

"Oh my god Mavis!" Nancy called out before running to Mavis and hugging her, "we thought you were in there!" Mavis was confused, but she hugged Nancy back, "no. No it's okay, I'm okay," she reassured Nancy for a few moments before pulling away.

The group all connected their stories, trying to piece together what could possibly be going on in the lab.

Suddenly the Lab's power turned back on, catching everyone's attention, the gate opened a few moments later.

Nancy and Jonathan acted first, hopping in his car to go get the ones inside. The five of them left at the gate and waited in silence. Max had made her way to the entrance, something had caught her eye.

"Guys?" she said before two pairs of headlights swung around the corner.

"Move!" Mavis said grabbing onto Dustin and Lucas and Steve grabbing onto Max, pulling them out of the way.

The first car was Jonathan's, it flew right past them. The second car stopped right beside them. It was Hopper. "Let's go!" he yelled out the car window.

Steve acted quick, opening the door and moving the front seat so the kids could get in the back. Steve moved the seat back and sat.

Mavis was worried for a moment when she realized there wasn't enough room, but her worries were alleviated when as soon as Steve sat down he grabbed her and pulled her into him and onto his lap, shutting the door behind them.

Despite being out of immediate danger, Steve's grip on Mavis only tightened. He was terrified to let her go.

The car ride back to the Byers was silent, no one wanted to talk about it. The only sign of life was Hopper and the occasional side eye he was giving Steve.

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❝ I ramble, it seems— How embarrassing. I'm quite certain I've never rambled a day in my life before this. Another thing to give you: this first, for me. ❞
—Amal EI-Mohtar, Max Gladstone, This is How You Lose the Time War
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