𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲

xiii. comms room.

THE THREE boys and two girls were still walking down the tunnel, far from the elevator and not even close to the end of the tunnel yet. "I mean, you have to admit, as a feat of engineering alone, this is impressive." Dustin said and James was getting tired. Erica pulled the I'm-too-tired crap and was now getting a piggy back ride from James. She was swinging her legs as he held his arms under her knees and her arms were around his neck. Robin had teased him saying my turn after.

"What are you talking about? It's a total fire hazard." Steve said and James had to agree. What if something happened? Then what? "There's no stairs, there's no exit, there's just an elevator that drops you halfway to Hell." Steve says.

"They're commies," Erica said, sounding tired like she might fall asleep being carried. "You don't pay people, they cut corners." She added after and James sighed. "To be fair to our Russian comrades, I don't think this tunnel was designed for walking." Robin said and James nodded softly.

"Rob is right. Like think about it, they developed this perfect system for transportation. It comes into the mall like every other delivery, and then they load it up onto those trucks and nobody even notices." James said and shrugged softly.

"You think they built this whole mall just so they can transport that green poison?" Steve asked and James glanced at him. "I very seriously doubt it's something as boring as poison." Dustin said and James nods. "It's gotta be much more valuable." He said. "Like promethium or something." Dustin said and James glanced at him, nodding.

"What the hell is promethium?" Steve asked and James sighed. "It's what Victor Stone's dad used to make Cyborg's bionic and cybernetic components." Robin explained and Erica spoke, "you're all so nerdy, it makes me physically ill." She said and Steve looks over at her on James' back.

"No, no, no. No, don't lump me in with them. I'm not a nerd, alright?" He said, getting all defensive. "Why so sensitive, Stevie? Afraid of losing cool points to a ten year old? Especially to Sinclair?" James said and Erica gave him a glare. "No, I'm just saying I don't know jack shit about Prometheus." Steve said and James rolls his eyes, smirking.

"Promethium." Dustin quickly corrects him. "Prometheus is a Greek mythological creature, but whatever. All I'm saying is, it's probably being used to make something." The curly headed boy continued to explain. "Or power something."

"Like a nuclear weapon?"

"Totally."

"Walking towards a nuclear weapon. That's great. That'd be great." Steve said and James rolls his eyes. "But if they're building something, why here?" James brought up, glancing to Robin and Dustin. "Yeah, like Hawkins. Seriously, of all places." Robin said and James nodded his head but then he slowly realized as he lets Erica down who walked alongsides with Robin. "At the very best, we're a toilet stop on your way to Disneyland." Robin said as James, Dustin and Steve all slowed down.

"But that's it..." Robin continued on as they came to a complete stop. "You think the Russians know?" Steve asked Dustin who looked up at them. "About—" "They could." James cut them off. "So it's connected..." Steve looks at him. "Maybe." Dustin said who they looked down at.

"How?"

"I don't know, but it's..."

"Possible." The three say in sync as Robin then turned to them. "I'm sorry, is there something you three would like to share with the class?" She asked and James pursed his lips together. Steve and Dustin look at one another before looking back over at Erica and Robin. Then the radio went off, the static hissing before a Russian man spoke on it.

"Walkie." Dustin and Steve say before they rush over to Robin and Erica, Erica who quickly took off her backpack and took it out. They all listened intently, Robin repeating what the man was saying in Russian as James stared at her with raised eyebrows, amazement clear in his face.

"It's the code." She explained. "Wherever that broadcast is coming from from..." James paused and Robin looks at him, smiling. "It's close." She says, "and if there's one thing we know about that signal..." She says. "It can reach the surface." Dustin said and Robin looks up.

"Let's go."

The group were hiding, "okay, clear." Steve finally said and James walked out of the hiding spot. "Clear, come on, let's go." Steve told them and they all followed. "Okay, that was close." Robin said, talking about the pair of Russian men that had walked by and nearly caught them. "Too close." Dustin added and James glanced at them.

"Relax." He whispered. "Alright? Relax, nobody saw..." Steve trailed off as they rounded the corner to show an area with many Russians in uniforms, they all stood there and stared, noticing the weapons. "Shit." Steve said and grabbed James' arm, quickly rushing to hide behind a cart.

James pulled Robin with him, Dustin and Erica rushing to hide behind her. "Jesus!" Steve exclaimed and James looks at him. "Red Dawn." Dustin said as he looked out. "I saw it." Erica whispered to James, Steve and Robin. "First floor, northwest." She added. "Saw what?" James asked her.

"The comms room."

"You saw the comms room?" Steve said with a confused look. "Correct!" Erica simply replied with as Steve peered out. "Are you sure?" Dustin asked, looking at Erica. "Positive. The door was open for a second, and I saw a bunch of lights and machines and shit in there." She told them.

"That could be a hundred different things." Dustin said and James sighed, looking at Steve. "I'll take those odds." Robin said making them look at her right away. Steve simply sighed before all of them peered out from the hiding spot. They saw the door and all of them leaned back.

"Okay..." Steve nodded and James sighs, looking to the others. "We're gonna move fast, we're gonna stay low. Erica, you wanna hop on my back again?" He looked in front of Erica. "No, I'm good." She simply replied with and he nods. "Okay. Let's go." Steve said, going first then all of them followed one by one, to the comms room.

authors note erica is basically steve and james' child. i love the concept of james giving her a piggyback ride when she got tired while walking.

this fic now has 27k reads and the actor who plays pennywise plays james... 😳