Downside Up [W.Byers]

045

"Hmm.." Erica hums as she examines the inside of the air duct. "Yeah, i don't know." She states. "You don't know if you can fit?" Dustin asks. "Oh, I can fit. I just don't know if I want to."

"Are you claustrophobic?" Robin asks. "What does that mean?" Ruby whispers to Steve. "I don't know. Fear of Santa Claus?" He guesses. "I don't have phobias." Erica scoffs.

"Okay, well, what's the problem?" Steve crosses his arms. "The problem is, I still haven't heard what's in this for Erica." She sasses.

They take a seat at a booth with the obnoxious girl, feeding her an ice cream sundae, along with many other side dishes. "More fudge, please." She pushes back the sundae towards Steve.

"Go on." She waves her hand in his face, dismissing him from the table. "At least She said please?" Ruby shrugs, sending Steve a sad look.

He sighs, taking it away. "Alright." Robin says as she pulls out the blueprints. "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, open the door." She explains.

"Then you find out what's in those boxes?"  The girl asks, stabbing her spoon in the ice cream. "Exactly." Robin nods.

"And you say this guard is armed." She states. "Yes, but he won't be there." Dustin responds. "And booby traps?" She asks again. "Booby traps?" Ruby squints her eyes.

"Lasers, spikes in the wall?"

"What?" Robin chuckles. "You know what this half-baked plan of yours sounds like to me?" Erica cuts in. "A fun adventure?" Ruby asks. "Child endangerment." She shakes her head.

"We'll be in radio contact with you the whole time—"

"Ah, ah, Ah! Child endangerment." She repeats. "Erica? Hi. Uh... We think these Russians want to do harm to our country. Great harm don't you love your country?" Dustin asks.

"You can't spell 'America' without 'Erica.'" She smirks. "Uh, Yeah, Yeah. Oddly, that's, uh, totally true." Dustin stammers. "So, So, Don't do this for us. Do it for your country. Do it for your fellow man." As Dustin speaks, she continues to slurp her drink loudly.

"Do this for America... Erica." He finishes. "Ooh! I just got the chills!" She exclaims. Dustin smiles. "Oh, yeah, from this float, not your speech." She shakes her head.

Dustin's smile drops as Ruby pats his back. "It was really bad. But A for effort." She whispers. He sighs. "Know what I love most about this country? Capitalism. Do you know what capitalism is?" Erica speaks up.

"Yeah." Dustin and Robin respond. "No." Ruby says at the same time. "It means this is a free market system. Which 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." She continues.

"So, you want my help? This USS Butterscotch better be the first of many. And I'm talking free ice cream for life." She says, popping a cherry into her mouth.

"Erica, do you copy?" Robin asks into the Walkie-talkie. "Yeah, I copy. You nerds in position or what?"

"Yeah, were in position." Robin rolls her eyes as they peer at the once guarded door ahead of them as they sit on the roof. "It's all quiet here, so you've got the green light." She adds.

"Green light, roger that. Commence operation Child Endangerment."

"Can we maybe not call it that?" Robin pleads. "See you on the other side. Nerds." Erica responds.

After ten minutes, Erica speaks up. "Alright, nerds. I'm there."

"Do you— do you see anything?" Robin questions. "Yeah, i see those boring boxes you're so excited about."

"Any guards?"

"Negative."

"Booby traps?"

"If I could see them, they'd be pretty shit traps, wouldn't they?" She sasses. "Thank you for that." Robin sighs. "I'm in." Erica adds.

"Oh, god." Steve mutters. Suddenly, the door opens as Erica comes out. "Free ice cream for life." She calls. They all exchange looks before running down.