"I didn't need a hero, Billy." Darian sneers, dusting off his coat, eyes glaring.
Billy only smirks, reaching over and untangling one of Darians dark curls, quickly catching himself, pulling his hand back. "It didn't seem like that a minute ago." B...
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Hawkins, Indiana
July 1985
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Hawkins Community Pool
。.✦ ☾
Billy was on duty as a lifeguard, sitting on the high chair. He wore a long-sleeved shirt. The male was eating ice cubes from a cup and had a large beach towel covering his legs. At his side was Darian, seemingly attached to the other, almost as if Billy had a leash on him.
....
El, Mike, Max, Kurt, Jamie, Lucas, and Will are hiding behind a car spying on Billy. Jamie was there because she was their ride and she was worried about Darian. Max has binoculars, watching them. "I don't know. He looks pretty normal to me." Max says
Lucas looked at her as if she were crazy. "Normal? How many times have you seen him with a shirt on? And look at Darian, he's in just as bad a shape." Lucas says "I mean, it's a little weird." Max says with a sigh.
"More than a little. He was in a tub with ice. The Mind Flayer likes it cold. Plus everything else." Mike says "But he's lounging at the pool, which is, like, the least Mind Flayer thing ever." Max says, she was really trying to rationalize all of it. Will shakes his head. "Not necessarily. The Mindflayer likes to hide. He only used me when he needed me. It's like -- like you're dormant. And then, when he needs you, you're activated." Will says
"Okay, so we just -- wait until he gets activated." Max says with a shrug. Kurt shakes his head. "No. What if he hurts someone?" Kurt says "Or kills someone." Will says "We can't take that chance. We need to find out if he's the host." Mike says
Mike began to head off. "Where are you going?" Jamie asks, feeling responsible for the kids and she doesn't want them to separate. "I have an idea. Boys only." Mike says
Max scoffs. "Seriously?" She sneers
The boys follow Mike. Mike looks at them with pleading eyes. "Just trust me on this one." Mike asks
....
The boys enter the locker room.
"Okay, so we wait until the pool closes and everyone leaves, and we somehow get them to come from here and -- Get them into here." Mike says as he opens the door to the sauna, only to find a handful of old, fat, half-naked men lounging. "Hey! Shut the door." "Hey, come on, kid, shut it!" The men begin to yell, furious.
Mike quickly shuts the door, eyes wide. "I think I just threw up in my mouth." Lucas says with a gag. Mike turns their attention to the sauna controls on the wall beside the door. "And look, the controls are right here. It's perfect." Mike says "Will it get hot enough?" Will asks "Two-hundred-and-twenty degrees. We just have to figure out how to get them in here, both of them." Kurt says
Will nods in agreement. "Then we lock Billy and Darian in ..." Will says "Heat them up ..." Lucas says
"No matter what happens, we'll know. We'll know for sure." Mike says
....
Starcourt.
Erica is peering down the air duct with a flashlight. She seems very skeptical about this half-baked plan of theirs. "Yeah, I don't know." Erica says
Robin, Steve, and Dustin are leaning against the counter waiting for Erica's decision. "You don't know if you can fit?" Dustin asks "Oh, I can fit. I just don't know if I want to." Erica says "Are you claustrophobic?" Robin asks, she assumed the rude little girl wasn't afraid of anything. Erica snickers, proving Robin's initial thought. "I don't have phobias." Erica states with a sassy grin.
Steve sighs. "Okay, well, what's the problem?" Steve asks
Erica plants a hand at her waist, staring him dead in the eye. "The problem is, I still haven't heard what's in this for Erica." Erica states
....
Moments later and now seated in a booth, Steve slides a massive banana boat over to Erica. She's surrounded by more ice cream treats than she could possibly eat. Dustin and Robin look at Erica. Erica pushes back the boat. "More fudge, please. Go on." Erica says to Steve. Stifling a frustrated look, he does as ordered.
Robin holds up the blueprint. "You see this. This is the route you're gonna take. Then we just wait till the last delivery goes out tonight. Then you knock out the grate, jump down, and open the door." Robin says "Then you find out what's in those boxes?" Erica asks
Robin nods, sitting back in the booth. "Exactly." Robin says
Erica hums, barely looking away from her ice cream. "And you say this guard is armed." Erica asks, lifting a singular eyebrow. "Yes, but he won't be there." Dustin says "And booby traps?" Erica asks
Robin looks at Dustin, confused. "Booby traps? Robin asks
Erica rolls her eyes. "Lasers, spikes in the wall?" Erica says in a duh tone. "What?" Robin says "You know what this half-baked plan of yours sounds like to me? Child endangerment." Erica says"We'll be in radio contact with you the whole time --" Erica cuts her off, waving her finger. "Ah, ah, ah! Child endangerment." Erica says
Robin huffs, crossing her arms, watching as Steve sits down and slides the ice cream boat in front of Erica. "Erica? Hi. Uh... We think these Russians want to do harm to our country. Great harm. Don't you love your country?" Dustin asks imploringly. "You can't spell America without Erica." Erica says
Steve looked confused but realized that it actually did need Erica to be spelled properly. "Uh, yeah, yeah. Oddly, that's, uh, totally true. So, so, don't do this for us. Do it for your country. Do it for your fellow man. Do this for America... Erica." Dustin says with a small grimace.
Erica fakes chills. "Ooh! I just got the chills. Oh, yeah, from this float, not your speech." Erica says, making Dustin deflate. Erica turns to Robin. "Know what I love most about this country? Capitalism. Do you know what capitalism is?" Erica asks
"Yeah" The three answered. "It means this is a free market system. This means people get paid for their services, depending on how valuable their contributions are. And it seems to me, my ability to fit into that little vent is very, very valuable to you all. So, you want my help? This USS Butterscotch better be the first of many. And I'm talking free ice cream for life." Erica says
