[ 𝙿𝚎𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚜 & 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚛𝚗𝚜 ] ~ 𝚂𝚝𝚎𝚟𝚎 𝙷𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚝𝚘𝚗 𝚡 𝙾𝙲

XVI - Down

"Erica, do you copy?" Robin calmly asked into Lucy's walkie-talkie, Dustin gave his to Erica so they could communicate with her in the vents and them on the roof of the mall.

"Mhmm. I copy." Erica's tone sounded through the super com. "You nerds in position, or what?"

"Yeah, we're in position. It's all quiet here, so you've got the green light." Robin said, her voice relaxed.

"Green light. Roger that. Commence Operation Child Endangerment."

"That's a terrible name-" Lucy huffed out, her tone muffled through Dustin's shoulder. 

"Can we maybe not call it that?" Robin asked the 11 year old.

Erica ignored the question, avoiding it with her snark. "See you on the other side, nerds." 

"You think she'll make it?" Lucy questioned.

"She kind of has too. How are we gonna explain it if we have to call the Hopper to come get her out of the damn air vents?" Russell quirked a brow, carefully tilting her head as she looked down at the unguarded door. Her hand was tucked carefully in Steve's, the Harrington giving a light squeeze which she quickly reciprocated. 

"Alright, nerds." Erica cut through the short burst of comfortable silence. "I'm there."

"D- Do you see anything?" Robin sat up straighter, getting excited.

"Yeah, I see those boring boxes you're so excited about." Erica sassed.

"Any guards?" Russell asked, holding the walkie-talkie with Robin, their hands overlapping slightly.

"Negative."

"Booby traps?" Robin follows up, pressing the button on the communicator in their hands.

"If I could see them, they'd be pretty shit traps, wouldn't they?" Erica scoffed, making the youngest Harrington laugh.

"Thank you for that." Robin smiled passive aggressively.

There was a shout on Erica's end and then some clattering before she called, "I'm in."

Steve groaned, bringing his hands to run up the front of his face and through his hair. "Oh, god-" Russell took his hand back into hers and gave him a reassuring kiss on the cheek. 

The doors to the secured room opened and Erica stepped out, her headlights shining up at the group.

"She did it-" Russell laughed."

"Free ice cream for life." Erica called up at them, her right hand resting on her hip.

The group on the roof raised to their feet, getting up and making their way toward the roof stairwell to meet Erica on the ground.

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"Where did you even-" Russell started as Steve pulled a box cutter out of his pocket, but she cut herself off with a shake of her head and a sigh. 

Steve gave her a smirk before dragging the blade through the tape of a Imperial Panda box. He ripped the leftover tape on the box, flipping it open and handing Lucy the box cutter. Inside the box was a case, marble lid with iron lining the outside and a turn handle on the top. "Woah-" Lucy marveled, her eyes wide and excited. Steve turned the handle, air hissing as the seal was broken. As soon as he lifted it, inside looked to be 4 smaller handles of the same metal material - except these handles stuck up instead of laying inside the surface. 

"That's definitely not Chinese food." Steve murmured, the six of them looking over and into the box. "Uh, maybe you guys should, you know, stand back-" Steve ushered, waving them to step back. 

"No." Dustin shook his head as Robin and Erica stepped down and back.

"Just- Just step back-"

"No."

"Step back." Steve urged, pushing lightly on Dustin's chest. 

"No!"

"Seriously."

"No!" Dustin raised his voice.

"Just-"

"If you die, I die." 

Steve stared at him blankly for a moment. "Okay." He huffed, lifting his hands. "Lu, step back." 

Lucy didn't budge, looking her brother dead in the eye with a look that was practically yelling 'you're an idiot' at him.

"Russell-" Steve started.

Russell simply rolled her eyes before sticking her hand in the box and twisting, pulling one of the handles up. A tube full of glowing, green goo  came out. The group looked at it wearily, Lucy simply looked intrigued. 

"What the hell?" Steve whispered. 

"What is that?" Robin whispered in return. 

Russell shook it lightly, the goop inside sloshing akin to how jello would move. 

The room shook, making Lucy let out a squeak and Russell's grip on the container to grow unsteady. 

"Was that just me, or did the room move?" Dustin asked, looking up at the roof as Lucy gripped his arm. 

"Booby traps." Erica whispered. 

Gears clicked on the outside of the room, it sounded like it was in the walls. "You know what? Let's just grab that and go." Robin stepped forward, taking the container from Russell as Steve put the box's lid back on. 

Dustin stepped toward the button panel and hit 'door open'. It didn't work and he kept pressing the blue button. "Which one do I press, Erica?"

"Just press the damn button, nerd." 

"It's not working!" Lucy panicked, pushing Dustin's hand away and pressing on the button herself. 

"Which one? I- I'm pressing the button, okay?" Dustin stuttered. "It's not opening-"

"Press open door!" 

"I'm pressing open door!" 

"Just open the- Press the other- Press the other button!" Steve shouted, nudging his way in front of Dustin and Lucy. 

"Guys, get out of the way so she can push this button." Robin started, overlapping the other voices. 

"Would you stop?" Steve huffed at Dustin. 

"I'm trying, okay!?" 

"Would you let me just do it! Would you stop?" 

"Just open the door!" Robin shouted when a loud clang sounded through the room. Russell looked over and noticed that Lucy was scratching at her left arm. Russell reached out, taking the younger girl's hand and guiding her nails away from her skin. A large red wall that looked like a garage door closed over the wall with the door, slamming into the ground. The group fell silent, staring at the new found barrier. And then the room fell, fast. 

Erica screamed, Lucy's eyes widening in fear as Russell wrapped her arms around the smaller girl to make sure she wouldn't fall. 

"Oh, shit-" Steve huffed as he stared at the un-barricaded wall, watching as the lights on the concrete whirred past. 

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Word Count -  1,036

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Published - January 24, 2024

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