I'm back! Here's 3x05 is here, finally, after months of promising friends I'd update, only to go and work on other fics.
This chapter follows the events of "The Flayed", though there are some changes (there is still body horror, which is canon). For instance, the rest of the "Griswold Family" (as they're nicknamed in 3x08) are finally made aware of the Russians, but only as much as Veronica knows, which is that they're in Hawkins and clearly up to something. El's powers come in handy, but only for a little while because that girl is tired.
Side note, Veronica doesn't know Erica is with the rest of the "Scoops Troop", since she wasn't there for the famous "You can't spell 'America' without 'Erica'" scene.
As always, I only own my OCs. I hope you enjoy.
3rd Person POV (Steve's)...
Still July 2nd
Russian Elevator to Hell
Who the hell knows the time, anyway?
If there's one thing Steve can take comfort in as the Russian elevator plummets to their doom, it's the fact he's not the only one screaming like a little girl. Well, Erica has the excuse of being a little girl, and a glance at her has the guilt eating away at his heart. She's too young to die. Dustin's too young to die. They're all too young -
"Shit!" Dustin let out an unholy shriek, frantically pressing the elevator buttons.
"We're going down, we're going down!" Steve hears himself panicking.
Bracing herself against a shelf of boxes, Robin's able to snark back, "Yeah, no shit, Harrington!"
"Not fucking helpful, Robin!" Richard hollers back, Steve glad there's at least someone there to help defend him, since Veronica isn't around.
Fuck, they should've waited for her. They wouldn't have been in this mess. He's dead anyway, once she finds out Erica got roped into all of this.
"Why don't these buttons work?!" Dustin continued shrieking.
Steve watches Erica rush over to Veronica's brother, frustrated. "Press the button!"
"What do you think I'm doing?!"
"Come on, press something! Just press the button!" Steve shouts, any rational part of him now floors above as they take an elevator ride to hell.
They come to a sudden stop, and everyone stumbles. Steve can make out Richard catching Robin, but no one's there to help him as a box lands on his dick.
"My groin!" He gripes. "It fell on my groin. Someone help, I can't move!" After some grunting, Steve is able to stand up, assisting Dusin in lifting the heavy package onto the steel table in the center of the elevator.
"Is everyone okay?" Robin asks breathlessly.
"Yeah, I'm great, now that I know that Russians can't design elevators!" Steve roars, uncaring of how terrified he sounds, given the situation. To be fair, even "built like a linebacker" Richard is shaking in his metaphorical boots, the southern boy's usually tan complexion getting paler by the second. He shoves Dustin out of the way to press the buttons.
"I think we've clearly established that those buttons don't work." Robin says.
He turns to argue with her. "They're buttons. They have to do something."
"Yeah, if we had a keycard."
"A what?"
Robin gestures to the box. "It's an electronic lock. Same as the loading dock door." She walks over to join him, showing Steve what she means. "If we don't have a keycard, it won't operate, meaning -"
"We're stuck in here." Dustin interrupts.
"Yeah."
"Shit." Richard says. "Sorry." He apologizes to Erica, who rolls her eyes. "Y'all, we shouldn'ta rushed into this." Steve, fully agreeing, didn't even attempt to defend his poor decision making, even if this wasn't exactly his plan.
"Just so you nerds are aware," Erica spoke up, glowering at everyone, "I'm supposed to be spending the night at Tina's, and Tina always covers for me. But if I'm not home for Uncle Jack's party tomorrow, and my mom finds out you four are responsible, she's gonna hunt you down, one by one, and slit your throat. Y'all better pray Veronica doesn't find out, either, especially you, Harrington, or else she's gonna dump your ass for someone better!"
"I don't care about Tina, or Uncle Jack's party!" Steve snarls back. "Your mom's not gonna be able to find us if we're dead in a Russian elevator! And as for Veronica, she wouldn't dump me, she'd just kill me!"
"I don't get it, is that better?" He hears Richard whisper to Dustin and Robin, Steve catching them shrugging in response.
"Hey." Dustin points up to the ceiling. "What if we climbed out?"
Steve huffs, joining Veronica's brother on the table and helping him climb up the ladder. Dustin opens the hatch, crawling out first. Their grunts and heavy breathing echo through the elevator shaft, and Steve exhales shakily as he stares up. "What were you saying about climbing?"
"Veronica's gonna kill us." Dustin murmurs, and the older of the teens finds himself nodding in agreement.
Veronica's POV
July 3rd
There's nothing more suffocating than silence. Not, like, the comfortable kind. I mean the type of silence that comes after a heartbreaking reveal. Like, the news that a family member died, the aftermath of a break up. Or, when you find out your ex-boyfriend and friend has been possessed by a interdimensional monster that just can't seem to take a fucking hint. By the time we returned to the Wheelers' basement, all of us were in a state of shock. Max and I were practically one person as we cuddled on the couch, numb to everything but Billy's possession.
As the sun rises, I finally manage to extricate myself from the redhead's grip, nodding at the slowly-blinking awake El to take my place. Kissing both girls on the top of their heads, I write a quick note explaining my departure before quietly leaving the house.
I bike to my place first, trying not to alarm my mom by entering as calmly as I can manage, even with panic sizzling under my skin and my head getting lighter, as if their air was starting to thin.
"Oh, dumpling, good morning!" My mom steps into view, already dressed to impress. She frowns, shaking her head. "You're covered in sweat. Did you go for a run? Veronica, I don't care what that doctor said, you were just in an accident. You should be taking it easy!" She scolds me.
I aim for a smile, but it's more of an exhausted grimace. "I know, I just got restless."
"Alright." My mom exhales with an exasperated grin. "I hope I didn't wake you last night."
"No. I slept like a baby." A terrified, in-shock baby. "Is Dustin up yet? I was thinking he and I could bike over to Sally's for breakfast."
"Oh, that's sweet. Unfortunately, he isn't here - he called me at work yesterday afternoon and said he'd be having a sleepover with his friends. He didn't tell you?" She frowns.
My smile's more reassuring this time, judging from the way her face relaxes. "Shit -"
"Veronica!"
"I knew I was forgetting something. I just woke up so early." I yawn and stretch.
"Maybe you should go lie down. Are you sure you feel alright? Do you have a headache? Dizziness? I'm not sure the doctor spent enough time checking you over, I could drive you -"
"I'm okay, honest!" I shake my head. "Just tired."
"If you're sure -"
"I am."
Mom snorts at my nonchalance. "Fine. But the minute you start to feel off, I want you to call me. Alright? Or ask someone to take you to the hospital, and have them contact me from there. Promise?"
"Promise. Have a good day at work."
"Thanks, dumpling." She kisses my cheek before scurrying out, closing the door behind her. The minute she's gone, I inhale deeply, fear growing in my stomach once again.
Stay calm, keep breathing. He's probably with Steve. They had a late night. Fuck, I should have called. I shouldn't have let myself be so out of it, I should have sucked it up, I should have -
I scream in rage, kicking a nearby chair across the floor, watching it clatter to the ground. Fighting the urge to punch several holes into the walls, I rush over to the phone, knowing Steve'll be up by now. It rings for forever, and on my third time reaching the voicemail I hang up with a growl. I try Robin's number next, her confused mother telling me she spent the night with a friend from band before asking me when I planned to come over next.
After five minutes of small talk, we finally said our goodbyes. I hang up, frustration rolling off of me like waves. Quickly changing my clothes and brushing my teeth, I hurry back out the door to bike to Steve's hoping he was just oversleeping. It's bad enough Billy's possessed, but if Dustin, Steve, and Robin were missing… shit, I wish I knew where Richard lived, I could see if he knows where they've disappeared off to, since he's gotten himself involved in this bullshit.
I nearly sob when I see Steve's car is missing, unsure whether or not he'd been home to begin with. Still, I use the spare key hidden behind a loose brick, letting myself inside. The house is empty - just like I knew it would be - but cleaner than I would have expected. Not that Steve's messy, he's actually pretty tidy, but this… his house looks like it did after he and I got back from our trip to New York.
So he wasn't home last night, then. And we know Dustin wasn't with his friends, because I was with them.
Where the fuck are they?
The phone rings and I nearly jump out of my skin, hurrying over to answer. It could be Steve, calling to see if I ended up coming over yesterday. Maybe he pulled an all-nighter with Dustin, Robin, and Richard at the mall, doing recon after-hours?
"Hello, Harrington residence." I answer after the fourth ring.
"Veronica?"
I frown. "Nancy?" I ask, my best friend's voice shocking me out of my musings.
"Thank God. I tried your place like, fifty time, but no one -"
"Nance, this better be super, insanely important, because I'm about to go into crisis mode."
"Shit, Vera, I'm already there. I called Jonathan, he's going to meet us at my house. You need to bring Steve over, and Dustin if he isn't -"
"They're missing." I close my eyes as I admit the cruel truth, nails biting the flesh of my left palm.
"What?" Nancy asks, voice tiny. "Are you sure?"
"God, I hope not. I was about to bike over to Starcourt and see if they went in early."
"Why would they have gone to the mall this early? What do you mean 'bike', where's your car?"
"As flat as a pancake." I try to joke, but my voice falls flat. "Give me an hour, alright? Tell the others I'll be back soon."
"You have to -" Nancy cuts herself off. "Fuck. It's happening again, Veronica."
"Yeah." I huff. "I know."
"What do you -"
"The others will tell you, okay? I promise, but right now, I have to find my brother and Steve. And Robin, possibly Richard."
"Veronica?" She asks again, this time in a whisper.
Exhaling, I shake my head. "I need you to know that I'm sorry I didn't call earlier. I've just been… I've been hyper-focused. Can you tell Johnny I'm sorry, too? I'll see you both soon."
"Okay. And Veronica?" I pause in my efforts to hang up, "I should've called, too. We both messed up. This isn't on you."
She hangs up first, and I sigh as I put the phone down. "It kind of is." I murmur to myself, eyeing the nearby clock as I chew on my bottom lip.
Starcourt Mall, much to my dismay, is an absolute bust. I didn't think it would be when I first saw the Beemer, parked in my boyfriend's usual spot. Any relief faded when I saw that Scoops was still closed, body rippling with dread when I managed to get into the back corridors of the mall and knocked on the ice cream shop's door, only for no one to answer.
I nearly fell off my bike twenty times on the way back to the Wheeler house, letting myself into the basement in a mad scramble, hands on my knees as I struggled to catch my breath.
"Ver?"
Staring up at Jonathan, my best friend tenser than I'd seen him in a long time, I finally let myself break. He catches me as I practically jump him for a hug, one hand on the back of my head while the other is on my shoulder, holding me closer. "Jesus, Veronica, what happened?"
"They're missing." I gasp out, then tearfully glance around at the others, gaze landing on Nancy as she stares at me in horror. "Dustin and Steve, they're missing. Robin, too - probably Richard."
"How? Why?" Will asks, standing up.
"Russians."
"Russians?" Lucas asks. I nod. "What do you mean, 'Russians'."
"They're here, in Hawkins. Somewhere. They're using the mall as a cover, I'm sure of it, but I have no idea where to find them. Lynx Transportation is involved, Robin and I were sure of it, we cracked the code." I talk quickly. "But I don't know -"
"I'll find them." El murmurs, picking up her blindfold and the walkie talkie. "Promise." She murmurs at me with a smile as I separate from Jonathan.
"Thank you."
She disappears into the bathroom with a nod and soft smile, and Jonathan clears his throat. "How'd you even hear about Russians in Hawkins?"
"Cerebro." Jonathan raises an eyebrow. "It's this -"
"Dustin built this awesome ham radio at camp. He showed it to us when he got back, so that we could talk to his girlfriend." Mike explains, though he ends the sentence with a disbelieving tone.
"Girlfriend?" Nancy asks, looking at me.
"Yeah. Suzie."
"Suzie's real?" Lucas questions, frowning.
I narrow my eyes. "Yes. And don't think for one second Dustin didn't blab about you guys not believing him, and blowing him off. After this is all over, you owe him big time."
"Why didn't we get this threat yesterday?" Mike whines.
"Because I wasn't still getting over wrecking my car."
"You wrecked the Falcon?" Jonathan practically screeches.
Rubbing my ear, I scoff. "Johnny, we're way past that."
"She felt the Mind Flayer when she was driving back from her dad's." Will tells his brother and Nancy. I ignore their worried glances in favor of eyeing the bathroom, wondering when El would come out, before my brain catches up to the boy's words.
"Wait." I quickly turn to my closest friends, then look at the kids gathered around us. "Do they know?"
"Some of it. Mostly about Billy." Max murmurs.
Nancy nods. "I was waiting for you to get here, so I didn't have to explain what the hell I saw all over again."
The bathroom door opens, El wiping under her nose with the back of her hand as she walks towards us. "They're in an elevator." She tells me. "Stuck, I think. They're trying to get out."
"But they're okay?" El nods, and I collapse into the armchair across from Lucas in relief, hands clasped under my chin, as if I was about to start praying. "Was it just Dustin and Steve?"
"No. There were two girls. And another boy." Robin and Richard. Wait -
"Two girls?" I frown. I figured Robin would've been with them, but who's the mystery chick? Shaking my head, the fear gnawing at my soul shifts into anger now that I know my brother, boyfriend, and friends are alive. "Those assholes told me they'd wait for me." I can't do shit if I don't know where they are. With my fingers clasped even tighter, my gaze shifts to Nancy, the girl clearly growing more impatient by the second. "What happened?"
I lean forward as Nancy talks about her night at the hospital with Mrs. Driscoll. Apparently she'd called the Hawkins Post on Sunday, wanting someone to write a story about a rat she found going feral after eating fertilizer. When they went back to see her the next night - around the same time Will and I felt the Mind Flayer back in our world - they found her eating fertilizer, too, completely out of her damn mind.
Then last night, when she went to visit Mrs. Driscoll in the hospital, Nancy ended up witnessing the old woman's Linda Blair-style possession episode. We're talking black veins, bulging eyes, demonic screaming -
"It was the same thing, the exact same thing that happened to Will last year." Nancy finishes. "And look at this." She leans down to grab some folded papers from her purse, hastily shoving them at me. My eyebrows raise as I read Mrs. Driscoll's vitals my best friend was able to procure from the hospital. "Look at the body temperatures." Nodding at the numbers, I move the report so Will, Lucas, Max, and Mike can check them out as well.
"He likes it cold." Will reminds us, and it nearly makes me shiver.
Mike clears his throat. "Okay, so this crazy old woman who was eating fertilizer -"
"Mrs. Driscoll." Nancy corrects, rolling her eyes at her brother.
"Right, yeah, Mrs. Driscoll. What time was this attack?"
"Last night."
"Right, but what time last night?" Mike presses his sister, who pauses to think about it.
"Around nine o'clock."
Jonathan, who's been pretty quiet this whole time - suspiciously so, turns to Nancy in surprise. "You waited all night to call?"
"I was waiting for the doctors to run some tests." Nancy defends herself.
I frown, my eyes flicking between my two closest friends. "What's going on with you two?"
"Wait, you weren't there?" Will asks his brother at the same time.
Jonathan scoffs. "Well, I'm here now, aren't I?"
"Hallelujah!" Nancy cheers, tone entirely fake.
Tabling their relationship drama for a later time, I clear my throat. "We need to come up with some kind of plan. We're dealing with two enemies here."
"Who? Billy and the Mind Flayer? Because I figured they count as one bad guy." Mike interjects.
"Billy isn't a bad guy!" Max scolds him, blue eyes shining with tears. "Not anymore, at least. He was getting better. He was." She insists.
Lucas sighs, nodding at the redhead. "She's right. He isn't like how he was in November."
"You mean a 'raging douchebag racist'?" Mike asks. "He attacked you, man. Like, multiple times."
"Yeah. He did. And it was fucking disgusting. I'll never forget it, and it's going to take years for me to even think about forgiving him. But I've seen him changing, Mike." Lucas says. "He's kept his promise so far. Two weeks ago, he distracted his dad so Max could sneak me out of the house. The fight sounded brutal." Max and I both wince. "He's not perfect, but he's better. And he's Max's brother."
We mull over Lucas's words in silence, then Jonathan speaks up. "Okay. So who's the second enemy?"
"The Russians. They're in Hawkins for a reason. Maybe they got some intel about what was going on in the Lab?" I offer.
Mike shakes his head at me. "I can't believe you kept all of this to yourself."
"If it makes you feel better, I didn't tell Dustin or Steve about the Upside Down, either." I try, but as suspected the others are unimpressed.
Lucas groans, running his hands down his face. "Why didn't you tell us this yesterday?"
"Or call Jonathan and I, for that matter?" Nancy demands after him, arms crossed and eyebrows raised in disappointment.
I can't contain my frustration, every negative emotion that's been building up inside since - well, since I got back from camp - finally boils over. "Because I'm fucking exhausted! I'm tired of dealing with this bullshit! I'm sick of being terrified, of feeling like at any second I'm going to lose another friend. Barb, Bob, Benny. And now Billy, Heather, and this Mrs. Driscoll are possessed, who knows what orders they're about to carry out for the Mind Flayer! Dustin, Steve, Robin, Richard, and some mystery girl are stuck in a fucking elevator," I list off with one hand, shaking with tearful rage, "so forgive me if I wanted to stay in denial about there being fucking Russians in Hawkins and the goddamn Upside Down is rearing it's ugly head for the third year in a row! I just wanted one fucking normal summer, like we used to have. Instead, we're back to the same old life-or-death, interdimensional bullshit!" I stand up abruptly and storm towards the basement windows, shoulders and chest heaving as I struggle to breathe. "It's my fault." I murmur. "If I'd just pulled over, I wouldn't have gotten in an accident. I could've been there for Steve and Dustin yesterday. I could've stopped them from doing anything stupid."
"I think you're underestimating your own ability to do dumb shit." Jonathan says, and I watch his reflection approach me. "They aren't alone. Dustin's clever, he'll get them out of this."
"Steve's clever, too." I murmur.
Jonathan grins. "I know. But he's not like your brother. None of us are. They're going to be okay. Right now, we have to focus on the Mind Flayer, and Billy." I nod, but I'm slow to rejoin the group. Relief floods my body as Nancy moves to stand beside me, wrapping an arm around my waist in comfort.
"So, Mrs. Driscoll," Will says, redirecting the conversation, "you were saying her episode happened at nine last night?"
"Yeah. What time was your sauna test?" Nancy asks.
"Around nine." The younger teens answer, and I nod at her in confirmation.
"Well, that proves it. That proves my theory."
"She's flayed, just like Billy." Mike agrees.
Jonathan frowns in confusion. "'Flayed'?"
"The Mind Flayer. He flays people." Nancy's brother explains. "Takes over their mind. Once they do that, they basically become him."
Lucas hums. "If there are two flayed -
I straighten, Nancy's arm dropping from my waist. "There has to be more." I finish, and he nods up at me.
"Heather." All eyes are on El, and her gaze flicks around at all of us in return. I wince at the reminder. "Billy was doing something to her. She was scared. She was screaming. Bad screams."
"What's a good scream?" Lucas asks, sounding as innocent as he's supposed to.
"Max said -"
"Doesn't matter." The red-haired girl shakes her head, and I snort at her panicked expression. Given the way she refuses to meet my eyes, I can only guess just what she told El are 'good screams'.
"I'm sorry, I'm lost." Nancy says, getting us back on track. "Who is Heather?"
"Heather Hollaway." I tell my best friend. Her eyes widen, and she turns to Jonathan.
"Tom." They say at the same time. Inwardly, I groan.
Shit. It's about to get a hell of a lot worse, isn't it?
I scramble out of the station wagon as soon as Nancy pulls into the Hollaway's driveway, having been confined to the trunk with Mike and Will. My duffle was still in the car, but I made sure to grab my quiver full of arrows and bow. My walkie's clipped to my shorts, just in case Dustin tries to contact me.
"That's not at all inconspicuous." Max quips.
I shrug. "I wasn't put on this earth to be 'conspicuous'."
"Yeah, if she was, she'd have chosen a normal weapon. Isn't that right, Huntress?" Lucas asks.
I snort out a laugh, but quiet down once we reach the front door. Standing behind Nancy and Jonathan, I frown as the former rings the bell twice. Met with silence, we all turn to El. She nods her head, and the door swings open.
We walk in slowly, stepping carefully. As Nancy calls out for her former boss - she let slip that she and Jonathan had been fired in the car - I briefly crouch down in front of a rumpled carpet, frowning when I notice the other rugs are laying perfectly flat on the floor.
"Heather?" Nancy asks.
"Jesus, it's freezing." Max shudders as she walks past me, staring at El. I stand and look at Will, who nods in agreement.
They're definitely flayed. He likes it cold.
Following Nancy into the living room, my nose wrinkles at the overwhelming scent of bleach. "Do you guys smell that?" I ask, sniffing as my eyes start to burn from all the chemicals. The others sniff as well, Nancy leading us towards the kitchen.
"Oh." She jolts, and I narrow my eyes when I see the kitchen island and circular table covered in cleaning products. "More chemicals."
"More?"
"Mrs. Driscoll's fertilizer, remember?" Nancy reminds me, and I nod in understanding.
"You think they're guzzling this shit?" Jonathan asks.
Nancy huffs. "Yeah, either that or they just went on a hell of a cleaning spree."
"But last year, Will didn't eat chemicals." Max points out. "Did you?"
"No. This is something new." He tells us.
Mike straightens, and we can practically see the lightbulb turning on in his head. "Mr. Clarke, sixth grade. Posit. What happens when you mix chemicals together?"
"You create a new substance." Will and Lucas answer.
I wince. Shit. I wish Dustin was here.
"What if they're making something?" Mike suggests.
"In themselves?" Max wrinkles her nose in contemplation. "I mean, come on, if you drink this crap, it'll kill you."
"Yeah, if you're human." Lucas argues.
God, please tell me Billy hasn't been drinking this shit, either.
Something catches Nancy's attention, and we follow her once more, this time into the dining room. The table's covered in old food, a couple of flies hovering around some stale-looking cookies. I move past the other girl to crouch once more, this time to pick up an empty bottle of wine. Glancing around the rug, a large red spot catches my eye, and I crawl over. "Blood." I surmise, looking over my shoulder at the others.
"Are you sure?" Mike asks.
I nod. "I've seen enough of it to know. If it was the wine, it'd be more purple." Nancy and Jonathan kneel on either side of me to get a closer look.
"Yesterday," Nancy begins, "Tom had a bandage on his forehead." She reminds my oldest friend, who nods as he follows along.
"I think I know why." I murmur, showing her the bloodstain on the wine bottle's label.
"He was attacked." Nancy nods over to the crumpled rug I'd come across when we first entered the Hollaway house, and Jonathan helps me stand as we all walk through the hallway, Nancy pointing at another bloodstain, this one in front of a door. She opens it, and we find ourselves standing in the garage.
Jonathan squats in front of some discarded rope, staring up at the rest of us. "They must have tied them." He rises. "They must have taken them somewhere."
"Mrs. Driscoll." Nancy gasps. "She kept saying… she kept saying, 'I have to go back!' What if the flaying, it's taking place somewhere else? There must be a place where all this started, right? A source."
"Somewhere he didn't want me to see." El adds.
Nancy nods. "If we can find the source, then maybe we can stop him. Or at least stop it from spreading or doing whatever the hell he's doing with those chemicals."
"How do we find it?" El asks.
"Mrs. Driscoll." Will speaks up from the doorway, and we all turn to him. "If she wants to go back so badly, why don't we let her?"
Shit. I've got a bad feeling about this.
"I hate this fucking town." I grumble out, following the others back to the car.
3rd Person POV (Steve's)...
July 3rd
Russian Underground Base
"Okay, clear." Steve whispers as he leads the rest of the group around some large storage containers. "Clear, come on, let's go."
"Okay, that was close." Robin griped, Richard shushing her.
"Too close." Dustin agrees, and Steve huffs.
"Relax. Alright? Relax, nobody saw -" He freezes when he sees the Russian scientists and guards at the end of the hallway, a woman's voice coming out of the loudspeaker. "Shit!" Steve dives behind a red bin, hoping he and the others weren't seen by the armed guard surveying from the balcony.
"Red Dawn." Dustin mutters.
"You're goddamn right." Richard murmurs back in agreement, Steve having bore witness to their nerd-bonding in the elevator.
Oh, who was he kidding, he loved Red Dawn.
"I saw it. First floor, northwest." Erica tells them.
Steve frowns. "Saw what?"
"The comms room."
"You saw the comms room?" He whispers back in disbelief.
"Hell yeah, I did, your girlfriend taught me how to use my eagle eyes." Erica defends herself, getting a smile from Steve.
"Are you sure?" Dustin questions.
"Positive." Erica says, offended. "The door was open for a second, and I saw a bunch of lights and machines and shit in there."
"That could be a hundred different things." Dustin argues.
"I'll take those odds." Robin tells Steve, who looks at Richard.
The hulking blonde shrugs. "It's your call, man."
Honestly, the fact that the biggest person in the group is leaving the decision said something about Steve's leadership ability. A little more confident, he nods and peers back around their hiding spot. "Alright." He whispers as he turns to the others once more. "We're gonna move fast, we're gonna stay low. Okay?"
"Okay." Robin nods.
He runs in a crouched position, ducking and diving behind more bins while the Russians mill about. "Shh. Move it." He orders in a harsh whisper. Once everyone's accounted for, he looks ahead at the comms room. The door opens, and as soon as the scientist has cleared the area, Steve hurries to catch it, sneaking behind so Robin, Dustin, Erica, and Richard could sneak through. His back turned to the comms system, he's the last to notice they aren't alone.
The Russian soldier spins his chair around, removing his headset. He reaches for the gun on his hip, and before Steve and Richard can react, Robin is stepping forward, saying something in Russian. Steve recognizes it as part of the code, but the soldier only grows more confused. He scoffs, hand back on his gun.
Before he even realizes it, Steve's roaring and running forward, grabbing the soldier around the middle. He fights in a daze, adrenaline rushing as he's thrown onto the comms. Richard's a blur as the boy lunges forward to punch the soldier, but the Russian kicks him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of the blonde.
Shoved face-forward by the phone, Steve is quick to grab it, mind flashing back to last November, when Billy had hit him with a plate. Switching it between hands, he slammed the phone against the soldier's left temple, the man knocking himself out as his right temple struck the table on the way down.
Panting, Steve brushes his hair out his eyes, turning towards the others as Dustin exclaims, "Dude! You did it! You won a fight!"
Steve grins, laughing softly as he eyes the unconscious Russian. "You alright?" He asks Richard as the blonde rubs his sore stomach, the southern teen reaching down to grab his gun.
"Yeah. For a little guy, he sure has some strong legs." The blonde quips, getting a snort from Steve.
"Uh, you sure you can use that?" Erica questions, eyes on the weapon in Richard's hand.
The teen nods at Lucas's sister. "My mama taught me. She's the best damn shot in all of Georgia."
Erica gears up for a snappy response, but ends up distracted by Dustin lunging forward, wrestling something from the soldier's belt. "What are you doing?"
"Getting us our ticket out of here." He holds up the key card.
"You want to walk all the way back?" Erica asks, incredulous. Steve groans, stomach rumbling as a reminder he hasn't eaten since last night, and there's no way of telling how long they've been down here.
"Well, we can hang out for a little bit, relax, have a picnic maybe." Dustin snarks.
"Have a picnic? We came here for the radio!"
"This plan is way better. If I knew Steve could knock out a Russian, that would've been our plan in the first place."
"I tried to tell you." Steve smirks. "I'm like a ninja."
"Sure." Richard snorts. "You were real quiet when you attacked him."
"Whatever, man."
"Guys!" Robin appears at the stairs, slightly out of breath. "There's something up there."
They hurry up after her, slipping through another door, nearly blinded by the neon blue lights. Richard, Erica, and Robin gather around one window, while Steve and Dustin take the other. Steve can feel his heartbeat racing as he eyes the scientists in the room between them and the laser. He looks at the younger teen in horror, then back down at the laser cutting into a pulsing wall, a small rift appearing, a loud shrieking escaping through the glowing gap.
So this is why the Russians are in Hawkins.
"Holy shit." Dustin murmurs, as if reading his mind.
Steve pales. Veronica.
Veronica's POV
Hawkins Memorial Hospital
I'm the last one to enter the hospital, armed with only my hunting knife, the sheathed blade tucked in my back pocket - I figured it'd be suspicious to come in with my bow and arrows. Seeing that the nurse behind the desk is distracted, we use that to our advantage and hurry after Nancy as quietly as possible.
The woman's more alert than we expected, because she hangs up as she stands to scold us. "Excuse me? Where do you think you're going?"
"Oh, um." Nancy turns towards her, putting on her most winning smile. "I was just going to visit my grandma again. And-and this is my family." She loses confidence at the last bit, so I try to pick up the slack by nodding enthusiastically, smiling innocently at the nurse.
"Extended." Lucas adds.
The woman scoffs. "I don't care who they are. You know the rules. Two visitors at a time."
"Yeah, but -"
"Two."
"At Hawkins General, they let in three." I point out, too tired to care about a filter. The nurse scowls in my direction. "Just saying."
"Yeah, well, Hawkins General has all the funds. Are you a donor?"
"No, ma'am." I deflate. "Sorry, I just… this is our grandma. The last one we've got."
The woman makes a face, then sighs. "Fine. Three, just this once."
"Thank you. So much."
"Mhmm." She picks up the phone once more, redialing her friend.
Turning to the younger teens, Nancy calls the shots. "You stay here. We're going to check on grandma, okay?"
They look bummed, but otherwise don't complain, breaking off to entertain themselves. I give Will my walkie before joining Nancy and Jonathan in the elevator, leaning against the back wall and trying not to suffocate from the awkwardness. I'm not sure what's worse, the tension, or the fucking elevator music.
"You know, those things that I said yesterday…" Nancy starts, and I nearly brain myself on the paneling, "I didn't mean them."
"I know."
Oh my God.
"I don't think you're like those assholes. At all. I never have. I was just -"
"Angry? Which I still don't get. I mean, I was just completely, utterly, mortifyingly… wrong." Jesus, please make it stop. "Don't let that go to your head." Jonathan adds in a flirting tone. Is this what it's like for them, being around me and Steve?
"I won't." Nancy smiles up at him. "I just look forward to you never doubting me again."
Gag me with a spoon.
The elevator dings, and as soon as the doors open on the fourth floor, I shove my way through. "Thank the fucking Lord, save your drama for another time, preferably with me far away." I gripe.
"Someone's cranky. You need a snack?" Jonathan teases.
"Yes!" I snap, and he and Nancy crack up. "Ugh, whatever." I groan, then follow Nancy down the left hallway.
The first thing that gets to me is how quiet it is. I've been in hospitals enough times these past three years to know there's always some sort of emergency going on. The fact I don't even hear a single whisper gets to me, and I find myself unsheathing my knife, flipping it my right hand as we turn another corner. The hair on the back of my neck rises, but I've been on edge since we got to the hospital.
We stop in front of a door, Nancy carefully pushing it open. I tense when I see the empty bed, the vase of flowers knocked over. "Where is she?" Jonathan asks over the sound of dripping water.
"I don't know." Nancy hurries forward, opening up the document on the hospital bed's table.
"Are you sure this is the right room?" Jonathan questions further.
"Yeah."
The lights surge, and I growl. "We need to go."
"She has, too." A man says from behind us, and we turn to face an average-looking guy standing in the hallways, covered in blood and sweat. "She's gone home."
"Tom." Nancy whispers.
"We were hoping you might come back." Tom says, sounding as far away as Billy did last night.
"Whose blood is that?" Jonathan asks him as he approaches.
"Probably one of the doctor's. Or all of them." I mutter.
Tom smirks at me. "Veronica. Veronica Henderson." He sings, and the grip on my knife tightens. "We were wondering when we'd see you again."
"That's sweet, I've got groupies." I quip.
"Tom, whatever you've done, this isn't you. He's making you do this." Nancy tries to get through to the advancing man, but he doesn't stop, not until Jonathan grabs the vase and slams it against Tom's head, the man collapsing.
"Go!" Jonathan shouts, grabbing Nancy by the wrist. She pulls me before I can stab our attacker, tugging me into the hall.
Another guy stands in the center, black veins running down the left side of his face. He rubs the spot with an empty smile. "Owie."
"Who the fuck is that?!" I shout as I'm dragged towards the staircase.
"Bruce. Come on!" Jonathan orders, shoving me away from the door and after Nancy.
"Run!" She screams, and we hurry down the steps, the lights flickering. We exit on the third floor, and the first thing we see is a nurse covered in blood, her head having been smashed on the glass window covering the fire extinguisher. We sprint down the hall, Bruce on our tails. I nearly gag when I see the bodies laying in puddles of blood, murdered by two of the flayed.
"This way, this way!" Jonathan insists, leading us through a corridor closed for construction. Rounding a corner, he stops at an intercom buzzer, pressing it frantically. "Hello? Hello?!"
"Here!" Nancy shouts, leading us into the room across from the buzzer. Jonathan locks it while Nancy runs to the red phone. "It's ringing!" Her relief fades pretty quickly the longer it takes for the receptionist to answer. "Come on, pick up!" She demands, pounding the wooden table.
"Nancy!" I shout as the lights flicker again, a full body shiver rolling down my spine. My eyes widen when I see a shadow appear in front of the door. A fist punches through the glass window, shattering to reveal Bruce's serial killer smile.
"Hi there." The phone falls from Nancy's grasp, but the knife only tightens in my, my knuckles nearly splitting from the force of my hold. Bruce's bloody hand reaches through the broken window to unlock the door, and I find myself in a fighting stance. "I'm here for you, Nancy Drew."
"Yeah, well, you can't have her." I growl, sliding in front of my best friend. He continues advancing, grabbing Jonathan by the throat when he jumps in front of me to attack. As Nancy gets thrown against a closet I lunge after our flayed attacker, shoving my blade into his side. He roars and twists, lifting me by the front of my shirt and tossing me at a wall. I take my knife with me, but it's slick with black goo - gross - clattering just out of reach. I groan, dazed, but can already feel my head clearing thanks to my Upside Down mojo.
"Jonathan!" I hear Nancy yell, turning my head to see Bruce raising a metal stool over my oldest friend's head. It falls as the other girl stabs him in the back of his neck with a pair of medical shears. Bruce spins towards Nancy, pulling the scissors out with a groan.
"You bitch."
"Nancy!"
"Go, run!" Jonathan and I scream. With Bruce following, I stagger to my feet, ready to follow. The lights flicker again, making me freeze.
"Veronica." Tom says from the doorway. "Where do you think you're going?"
"I don't care if you're part of a hive mind, we've never met before. Only my friends call me Veronica. You can just call me 'Miss Henderson'." I grunt, wiping the goo off the grip of my knife with my shirt.
Tom tilts his head, kind of like Michael Myers does when he's admiring his work.
Naturally, being on the receiving end of the "Serial Killer Head Tilt", I waste no time in feinting right. He goes for it, and I slash at his throat, only managing a thin slice as he recovers quickly enough to shove me back into a metal table. The steel stool slams into his back and Tom folds over, revealing a panting Jonathan. His former boss growls, grabbing him and throwing my friend on the ground. With his back turned, I run and jump onto Tom, stabbing into his chest as I hold on for dear life. He shakes me off and I finally - terrifyingly - am forced to let go of my knife, practically flying across the room. I watch in horror as he slams Jonathan's head on the ground before pulling the knife out of his chest, marching towards me as I scramble to find anything to defend myself with.
"He wants you." Tom tells me with an empty grin, dropping the knife. "You heal. It was a gift from him. Aren't you grateful? Don't you want to return the favor?"
"I'd rather die."
"I'm sorry." The man says, still smiling. "That's not an option for you. He wants you alive. And he always gets what he wants."
Before I can say anything, Tom's head suddenly slams back, black good dripping from his nose. He twists, and is thrown against a steel cart like he'd been attacked by the Invisible Woman. As he straightens, I watch Jonathan leap forward - suddenly standing, when did that happen - and shove the shears into his throat. He chokes and collapses, and brother in all but blood abandons his body to help me up, passing me his old knife.
"You okay?" Jonathan asks, checking me over.
"Fine. I can feel myself healing. How about you?"
Jonathan grunts, bruised, bloodied, and exhausted. "I'm alive."
"Dude, you totally saved me." I throw my arms around him in a tight hug. "I really missed you."
"I missed you, too, Ver." He whispers, then pulls back when I shiver and freeze. "What?" The lights buzz, then shut off, blinking like strobe lights.
"We need to find Nance. Now." I say as we stare at Tom, his corpse seizing and dissolving like a slug covered in salt. Griping my knife once more, I take Jonathan by the elbow and move us away from the flayed, his lifeless body shaking and chattering like it was filled with a million bugs. Is this going to happen to Billy? Is he different from them?
Skin practically exploding, Tom's flesh squelches out of his body, pooling around him and crawling forward like the Blob. It slides out the door and we follow, sticking as close together as physically possible.
Out in the hallway, the fleshy thing that was once Tom inches forward, another gooey mass appearing around the corner. Nancy is right behind it, equally horrified - shit, that must be Bruce, what the hell is going on? - as the electricity keeps surging.
Meeting in the center of the hall, completely cutting Jonathan and I off from Nancy, the two blobs crash into each other, becoming one chittering, squelching thing. It grows bigger, and bigger, re-solidifying. I can barely make out the crablike spikes bursting out. It's only when the hall goes dark and the emergency lights click on that I realize how fucked we are.
A monster more menacing than anything I'd seen before stands with its back to me and Jonathan, roaring at Nancy, ready to strike.
Fuck.