Will to Survive

Operation: Space

Steve and Cat were in the medical room, getting treated for the thing they were injected with. Robin was with the both of them to see if they were okay from what happened. She noticed that they both looked shaken up from what Quinn had done to them, which hurt because she had to see them in pain. 

"You guys feeling any better?" Robin asked them, immediately regretting asking it. "Never mind. Bad question to ask. I'm surprised you guys aren't turning into monsters though."

"The fuck are you on?" Cat asked, confused.

Robin looked over at her friend. "Like Billy and Bruce did. They were bitten by those rats Heather and Damien told us about. And Quinn said that she injected you guys with the same thing that turned Billy into a monster. Was she playing us or something?" She asked.

"Nope, but I played with her," a voice said from behind them. Erica was walking into the room to check on her two adventure buddies. "I ran away from those crazy nerds and I saw that the main lady had these weird liquids in her pockets. I dumped them and replaced it with water in the fountain. So yeah, they ain't gonna become monsters."

Steve looked up at the young child with a surprised look. "Thanks, shithead," he said with a smile. "I was not in the mood to turn into a monster today, so I really thank you. But I can't stop thinking about what Quinn showed me."

"What did she show you?" Robin asked him.

Steve sighed and looked away in order to not make contact with her. "It was two years ago when I was with Nancy. I was a huge asshole back then and I was horrible to her. I thought she was cheating on me with Jonathan, so I acted out," he explained. "My friends and I went to the cinema and spray painted "Starring Nancy the Slut Wheeler" underneath the movie playing. I regret it and I don't think she ever forgave me for it. It was hard to move on from her when we did break up because I learned that she didn't even love me."

Robin gave him a look of sympathy and took his hand. "I'm sure she loves you, just not in that way," she said. "Sometimes people fall out of love and that's okay. There's always someone who does love you and you shouldn't give up hope."

Steve smiled at the blonde. "Thanks, Robin," He said.

Robin smiled back and squeezed his hand. Steve squeezed her hand back and the two just looked into each other's eyes for a few minutes. Cat and Erica both exchanged knowing looks and shook their heads at the teens.

"Stop eye fucking please. There's an eight year old in the room," Cat said, causing for Steve and Robin to look away from each other.

Erica raised an eyebrow and put her hand on her hip. "Says the girl who just cursed in front of me. Several times. Remind me to not recommend you as my babysitter," she said. "What was your experience with that lady like, anyway? You never shared."

Cat rolled her eyes and looked away from the girl. Robin and Steve looked over at her in curiosity, wondering if she was going to answer the question. She knew that they were waiting for an answer, so she sighed and groaned. She really didn't want to talk about it, but she owed them an explanation if Steve gave his.

"I wasn't originally from Hawkins Lab. I was from the Montauk Lab in New York," Cat began. "I had a friend there who was called 001. Yes, she was 001, but it was a different lab so it worked differently. The two of us were always tested on together and we became friends. We were planning to escape together one day, but plans changed. Instead of meeting up with me, she left without me. She abandoned me in the lab. Then I was transferred to Hawkins because their original 009 had died in an accident. That's how I ended up in this shithole. Because of that bitch who fucking abandoned me."

Robin put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "That's horrible, Cat. I'm really sorry," she said, sympathetically.

Cat shrugged in response. "It's okay. It's not really something I like talking about, but it felt fucking good to let it out. I never told anyone about this," she replied. "Guess it's back to never talking about it ever again."

Just then, El ran into the medical room, eyes wide. Robin, Steve, Cat, and Erica all looked over at her in confusion before she spoke up. "I know what the military is planning," she breathed out.

Cat raised an eyebrow. "Oh shit. Did they figure out we have powers and we're all getting fucked now?" She asked.

"No. But it is crazy," El responded. "They're taking us to space."

Everyone's eyes widened at that statement. "Oh god, am I gonna become a nerd?!" Erica yelled.

...

El managed to gather all of the party members into her assigned bedroom. The only people she didn't get were Hopper and Joyce because they were busy with the soldiers. Everyone sat down in the room, all shocked at the fact that they were going to space. That is, if the soldiers weren't tricking everyone.

"This literally sounds like something out of a movie," Dustin said. "We're actually going to SPACE?!"

"When I said I wanted to see the world, I did not mean out of a spaceship window," Reyna said, shaking her head. "I mean, how the hell is this going to work?"

El shrugged in response. "I don't know. The soldiers said that it was something they were planning for emergencies only," she explained. "This is an emergency. We are in a military base while possessed people and monsters are roaming around as the Upside Down spreads."

"Wait, didn't they also say that it would be the whole world fitting in?" Jordan asked. "The whole world is going to space?!"

"I don't know!" El replied, exasperated.

Mike then stood up and faced the others. "Alright guys, calm down. If this is the only way that the world can be saved from the Upside Down, then we have to follow through with it. It's crazy, I know. But think about it. We're going to space and that's something I've wanted to do since I first saw Star Wars," he said.

Will nodded at his friend. "I agree with Mike. Space does look really cool and it would be fun to go there," he said. "But it's still really insane with what these guys are planning to do."

"The thing is, how do we know that this can't be stopped?" Nancy asked. "Shouldn't there be something that will stop this shit from happening?"

Max shook her head at the teen. "No. Billy told me that there's no cure for these people that the clones created. There's no way out of this unless Mike and El close the gate again," she explained.

"Hopper won't let us," El said. "He thinks we'll die because of the rate it's spreading. Even if both of us tried again."

"Well shit," Cat said. "Then we're all fucked I guess. We're going to fucking space!"

"But wait a minute," Damien said, holding up his hand. Everyone turned to look at him before he continued to speak. "What if the clones are lying to us? What if there really is a cure and they won't tell us anything about it?"

"You might be right," Lucas said. "Where did the clones even go? Where did the soldiers take those bitches?"

"In a prison area. I saw them go in the direction of the prison with the military," Heather said. "The thing is, who's gonna go and ask them?"

"I'm gonna go," Delilah said, standing up. "I know them better than anyone in this room does. I can get them to talk."

Keelan stood up beside her. "Then I'm going to go as well," she said, smiling at her. Delilah smiled back gratefully.

"I want to go as well," Will said. "I want to be able to do something to help. Especially since I know the Upside Down."

Jonathan leaned over to his brother. "You sure, Will?" He asked, worried about him. He knew that Will didn't like to be treated like a baby, but he couldn't help it. Ever since he disappeared and got possessed, he became overprotective over him. He didn't want him to get hurt again, especially not in the hands of cloned experiments.

Will nodded at his older brother. "I'm sure, Jonathan. I want to go," he said.

And with that, Delilah, Keelan, and Will went down to the prison area to face their foes again.