The Babysitters ♡ Steve Harrington

Episode 3

The following day, we were back at the mall. Robin and I sat in the store as Steve and Dustin went looking for Russians. I tried to tell them they weren't gonna find a Russian in broad daylight, blurting that they were Russian, but they didn't listen.

Erica, Lucas' sister, came in with her friends, ringing the bell over and over to get Robin's attention.

"Athena, don't you work here?" Erica asked me.

"Absolutely not." I shook my head, sitting at a booth beside the counter.

"True. You aren't a nerd." Erica shrugged, ringing the bell again.

Robin removed her headphones and stared at Erica.

"I'd like to try the peanut butter chocolate swirl, please." She smiled.

"No. No more samples today." Robin shook her head.

"Why not?" Erica asked.

"Because you're abusing our company policy." Robin told her.

"Where's your sailor man?" Erica looked over at me.

"Hopefully sailing the sea." I muttered.

"Sorry, he can't help you. He's busy." Robin said.

"Busy with what?" Erica questioned.

"Spycraft." Robin smiled.

Erica whined and looked over at me. "Athena! Please tell Mrs. Sailor I want to try a sample."

"And what makes you think I can order her around? I don't work here." I told her.

"No, but you're a badass. Everyone listens to you." Erica shrugged.

"Just because you called me a badass, I will help you." I smiled and stood.

"Now you're abusing our policy." Robin looked at me. I shrugged.

As the store died down, Robin made us both milkshakes. We were talking about life before looking at the Russian message

"'The week is long. The silver cat feeds when blue meets yellow in the west'." Robin read.

"What does that even mean? A silver cat. What silver cat?" I groaned, drinking my shake.

"There's more, look. 'A trip to China sounds nice if you tread lightly.'"

"'Tread lightly?'" I repeated.

Knocking on the back door caught our attention.

"It might be the boys." I said, walking to the back and opening the door.

When I opened the door it was the delivery man.

"Delivery for you." He held out a box.

"Uh...thanks." I grabbed the box. It said Lynx. "Birdy! You gotta sign." I called over. Robin came back and signed the paper.

"Have a nice day." The man said.

"Yeah, you, too." Robin said breathlessly.

I looked over at her. "Don't tell me you have a crush on him." I joked.

"What? Ew." Robin said quickly, she grabbed my arm, pulling me into the hallway. "Look."

I looked at the man, specifically what was on his back.

"A silver cat." I whispered.

"Silver cat." Robin repeated.

"The code is in the mall." I looked at her.

"Come on!" She and I ran to the front.

"Oh, Thena, Robin, you two aren't gonna believe who Dustin thought was a Russian." Steve said as he saw us.

"You did, too." Dustin argued.

"No, I did not." Steve shook his head.

Robin and I ran right by them.

Steve and Dustin watched them run off.

"What in the world?" Steve furrowed his eyebrows.

"Ugh, more walking?" Dustin groaned, following after the girls.

Robin and I ran to the center of the mall and looked around.

"'A trip to China sounds nice'." Robin repeated over and over. "A trip to China sounds nice." She said, motioning to the Chinese diner in the food court.

"'If you tread lightly'..." I said, looking around before my eyes caught the shoe store. I pointed at it.

"When-When blue and yellow meet in the west'." Robin said. We looked around the mall. She grabbed my arm and I spun around, facing the giant clock. "When blue meets yellow..."

"...in the west." I finished. "Holy shit."

"Thena." I heard my name and looked down at Steve and Dustin. "What are you two doing?"

"We cracked it." Robin told him.

"Cracked what?" Steve asked. 

Robin and I jumped off the ledge we were standing on.

"We cracked the code." I smiled.

So, believe it or not, we waited outside in the pouring rain as we watched a delivery truck go near the door.

"Look for Imperial Panda!" Robin yelled over the loud rain.

"And Kaufman Shoes!" I added.

Dustin had the binoculars. He pointed ahead. "They're with that whistling guy, ten o'clock." 

"What do you think's in there?" Steve questioned.

"Guns, bombs?" Dustin guessed.

"Weapons?" I added.

"Chemical! Chemical weapons." Robin nodded at me.

"Whatever it is, they're armed to the teeth." Dustin said.

"Great. That's great." Steve groaned.

The man opened the door with a keycard.

"Hey, what's in there?" Robin asked.

"It's just more boxes." Dustin answered.

"Let me check it out." Steve reached over to grab the binoculars.

"No, I'm still looking." Dustin denied.

"Lemme see it." Steve argued.

"Stop!" I warned. They were gonna get us caught.

And just like that, they dropped it, causing a loud noise to alert the men.

"Duck!" I yelled, we all laid down against the wall. Steve's hand was squeezing mine. Robin was holding onto my arm and I looked over at Dustin, making sure he was okay.

We all ran back inside before we were caught.

"I think we found your Russians." Robin panted.