Cosmic Optimist [1] {STEVE HARRINGTON}

ten.

Chapter 10: D&D and Science: What Will Save The World

Tali and the others finally reach Hawkins Lab after walking through the seemingly endless forest. By the time they get there her legs ache and her mind is filled to the brim with dread as they get closer and closer to the lab. But instead of being met with more monsters, they come face to face with Nancy Wheeler and Johnathan Byers.

"Steve?" They both shout.

"Nancy," Steve says as Dustin from beside him adds, "Jonathan,"

"Tali," the brunette hair exclaims raising her hand holding the metal pole up. Steve glances at her questioningly and she shrugs, "The adrenaline is wearing off, I'm just trying to lighten the situation".

"What are you doing here?" Nancy asked.

"What are you doing here?" Steve countered with wide eyes.

"We're looking for Mike and Will," she tells him.

"They're not in there, are they?" Dustin asks her. A nervous pit forming in Tali's stomach, a knot full of worry for the two boys who could potentially be in a monster-infested building.

"We're not sure," Nancy tells them as Jonathan from beside her asks, "Why?"

As if to answer his questions they hear the distant screech of the monster's call coming from inside the lab. The distress of the situation had everyone talking at the same time. All asking each other when they saw the missing boys last. It wasn't until the lights flashed back on in the lab that everyone stopped talking over each other.

"The powers back on," Nancy informs them moving forward to stand closer to the shut gate. Everyone dispersed around Jonathan's car, Tali grabbing the back of Dustin's backpack in efforts to not lose him. In the security booth with no luck, Jonathan tries repeatedly to open the gate.

Dustin shoves himself into the booth breaking his sisters grasp on his bag, "Let me try," when the older boy doesn't move, he pushes him back, "Let me try, Jonathan".

The younger boy curses as the red button failed to head his commands, "What makes you think you pressing the button, is any different than Jonathan pressing the button?" Tali tells him sticking her head inside the security booth. "Here I got this," she says pushing Dustin back and grasping the metal pipe in her hands like a bat ready to swing at the red button.

"No!" Jonathan shouts, putting a hand on the pipe before she can swing and just as the gates start to clatter open.

"I got it! That was me," Dustin laughs, "I was the last one that pressed the button," he says as Jonathan rushes out of the booth.

Tali pulls Dustin out with her, "C'mon doofus".

She and the others stay back as Nancy and Jonathan make their way toward the lab in his car. She took advantage of the quiet moment to change the side of the tape she was listening to, the guitar intro of the tape calming her nerves. Steve put a hand on her shoulder startling her as she looked up at the dark sky. The music was too loud for her to hear him, but she could see him mouth the question are you good. She nodded her head to assure him she was.

Suddenly she sees through her peripheral vision a flash of Max's red hair shooting toward the side. Steve grabs Tali's arm pushing her into him as the lights of Jonathan's car and a police car speed toward them. The girl barely had time to notice their close and her shortness of breath as she's being pushed into the back of Hopper's truck with the rest of the kids. They drive off toward the Byers house at an alarming speed.