STITCHES - S. HARRINGTON

04

the sauna test

♛

"That keycard opens the door, but unfortunately, the Russian with this keycard also has a massive gun." Dustin explained to the group. All five sat around the table, listening to Dustin as he voiced every possible detail that described the sketchy base. Just moments earlier, Dustin had been scoping out the area on top of the roof, using binoculars to get a closer look. "Whatever's in this room, whatever's in those boxes, they really don't want anybody finding it."

"So what your saying is.. there's no way in." Ben shrugged, basically deciding to himself that Dustin's scoping was the end of the situation. But he was so very wrong.

Scarlett thought for a moment before sitting up in her seat, "He never said that. There has to be some other way in.. Like a chute, or a tunnel?"

"Well, you know." Steve blew his hat back into form, dropping it on the table and leaning forward. "I could just take him out."

Everyone sat in silence for a moment, processing the stupidity that had come out of Steve's mouth. "Take who out?" Robin was the first to speak up, completely skeptical.

"The Russian guard." Steve confirmed as if it were obvious, causing Ben to stifle a laugh and cover it with a cough.

"To dinner?" Scarlett quipped. "Because I know you're not about to fight that Russian guard." She had to laugh, immediately stopping as soon as she noticed his expression. "Oh.. you're serious."

"What? I sneak up behind him, I knock him out, and I take his keycard. It's easy." Steve listed his plan, and it was seemingly solid to him, although everyone else knew he was missing one big factor that would surely cause him to rethink.

"Did you not hear the part about the massive gun?" Dustin said what everyone was thinking, but Steve seemed unphased.

"Yes, Dustin. I did." Steve stared at him as if he had seven heads. "And that's why I would be sneaking." He made his two fingers walk across the table, providing a visual aid for Dustin.

"Ah," Dustin nodded. "But please, tell me this, and be honest. Have you ever actually.. won a fight?" He asked Steve, multiple 'oohs' rising up in the room.

"Okay, that was one time-"

"Twice." Both Scarlett and Dustin were quick to shut Steve down, humbling him more than ever before. "Jonathan. Year prior?" Dustin specified.

"Yeah," Ben winced. "Tough, dude. You got beat up by Jonathan Byers." Ben reached over and pat Steve's back sympathetically, earning a glare from him.

"That doesn't count." Steve wasn't willing to accept the embarrassment, especially not in front of two girls who were definitely not impressed.

"Why wouldn't it? Because it looks like he beat the shit out of you." Dustin pointed out. He was right, and Steve left with more bruises on his ego than on his face. And that's saying something, there was a lot of bruises on his face. The two boys immediately began arguing, the quarrel becoming more chaotic by the second.

Suddenly, Robin shot up out of her chair, rushing out of the break room and scooping the money out of the tip jar. As Steve called after her, she had a few simple answers for him. "I'm finding us a way into that room, a safe way! And, in the meantime, sling ice cream, behave, don't make Scarlett and Ben do your job, and don't get beat up. And Scarlett, I'm so sorry I'm leaving you to babysit. I'll be back in a jiff." She saluted, dashing off to who knows where.