The One || Steve Harrington

E Pluribus Unum

"The gate," the three seemed to say simultaneously, exchanging mutual looks of shock, fear, and more fear.

Her heart skipped a beat. Goosebumps traveled across her arms. She was positive the hair on the back of her neck was standing.

They didn't waste any more time rushing down the steps they just came up.

This was bad, very bad.

"I don't understand," Robin rushed with narrowed, pointed eyes. "You've seen this before?"

Not in person, they hadn't, not truly, at least in this form.

"Not exactly," said Steve, hesitating. He looked briefly between Georgia and Dustin.

Erica and Robin had to know. They couldn't hide this any longer, just as much as they couldn't pretend this wasn't connected to something larger.

"Then what, exactly?" Robin retorted, pressing her lips together with an exasperated sigh.

"All you need to know is it's bad," Dustin said.

"It's really bad," Steve added.

"We've gotta get out of here," Georgia said more to herself than the rest of them, grabbing Erica's bag from the ground and passing it to the girl.

"Like, end-of-the-human-race-as-we-know-it kind of bad," Dustin rushed, his voice tense and fearful.

They had to get out of here. Everything going on down here had everything to do with whatever was going on in Hawkins with Billy and Heather and whoever the hell else was now somehow involved.

"And you know about this how?" Robin half-shouted. "Georgia, can you please say something?"

Robin's blue eyes bored into Georgia, obviously expecting a clear and straight-cut answer Georgia just didn't have right now. She couldn't articulate properly in a way the two girls would believe. Georgia wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't experienced it herself.

But it was more than that. The NDAs and the more people who knew, the more danger they were all in.

"We know...because...well, long story short-" Georgia stammered, her eyes catching Steve's wide ones.

"Um, I hate to interrupt...Steve? Where's your Russian friend?" Erica asked suddenly.

Thank God.

Their eyes darted to the now vacant spot on the ground. The man Steve knocked out was gone, leaving behind a small pile of blood.

Like some comical joke, the alarm started blaring as soon as the words left Erica's mouth.

Georgia was the first to reach the door, and Steve was right behind her. The scene before them was utterly chaotic, with red lights flashing, guns in hand, and quick, serious communication occurring between a guard and the man Steve fought minutes before, no doubt telling the guard what had occurred.

"Shit!" Georgia flung herself from the door back into Steve the moment her eyes met theirs.

Five Russian military men with large guns all started their way, shouting halt in a mixture of English and Russian. "Go, go, go!"

There was no choice but up and into the room of scientists. They could hear furious shouts behind them, only spurring them to move faster.

Scientists were better than guards with guns.

Their footsteps halted only slightly as the room of seven scientists turned simultaneously, staring at them with wide, shocked eyes.

"Go! Shit, shit, shit!" Steve shouted, his hands shoving Georgia forward.