Brave Like You (Steve Harrington)

Twenty-Two.

The next morning Dustin tried to reach his friends on the walkie by standing on the elevator again, but he got nothing because of his low battery. I heard them talking from the hatch outside. "The mall just opened," Dustin said.

"So," Steve replies, sounding annoyed.

"Someone could be in range," Dustin reminded him.

Steve was still annoyed. "What do you think Petey the Mall Cop is going to rappel his way down here?"

Dustin was already fed up with Steve being his annoyed self. "Okay, why are you such a cranky pants after you just got to spend the night with Candy?"

"Dude, don't get too excited about that," Steve said, and he climbed the rest of the way out of the hatch.

"I heard you two talking last night," Dustin said.

"Yeah, we were trying to find a way to open the door and get out of here," Steve said, and I heard his footsteps. "And after 8 hours, we're still nowhere. Which is probably just a little bit of the reason why I'm such a cranky pants."

Dustin's voice got louder, "What are you doing!"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Asked Steve, "I'm taking a leak, look away. Look away!"

A few moments later, we saw liquid dripping down the wall. Robin noticed it first, and she shouted, "Can you redirect your stream, please?" and I watched as the pee began to land somewhere else.

Erica wanted to drink what was in the canister, saying that if the human body didn't get something to drink it would die. Robin told her we didn't even know what was in there. Their conversation was cut short when Robin heard something outside the walls, and she told the boys we had company.

The door opened after we all hid sitting on top of the elevator, and we watched as the elevator was unloaded by two men speaking Russian. Steve kept the door to the elevator open using the cylinder to prop it open. Erica and Dustin snuck out first then Robin and I.

The canister broke and the green liquid splattered as soon as Steve was out of the way, which was so lucky for him. Steve began walking down the long tunnel, I followed after him and the rest followed us as we led the way down this long, lit tunnel.

On the long walk down the tunnel, Dustin said it was impressive, but Steve talked about how dangerous it was. We began talking theories about what that green stuff in the canister was. Steve said it was poison, and Dustin said it had to be more valuable, like Promethium.

"What the hell is Promethium?" Steve asked, confusion in his tone.

Robin answered his question, "It's what Victor Stone's dad used to make Cyborg's bionic and cybernetic components."

"You're all so nerdy it makes me physically ill," Erica said, sounding disgusted.

"No," Steve said quickly, "Don't lump me in with them. I'm not a nerd, alright?"

"Whatever it is," I said, getting us back on track, "It's probably being used to make something."

"Or power something," Robin added.

"Like a nuclear weapon?" Dustin asked.

I nodded my head yes, "Probably."

Robin started on one of her Robin Rants and she kept going on about why the Russians would want to build something here in Hawkins. Dustin, Steve, and I all stopped walking and looked at each other.

"Do the Russians know?" Dustin asked.

"About the-" Steve started but he stopped himself.

"They could," Dustin said, and he didn't sound too happy about it.